As any prominent prize-giving event draws close, you'll find an outcry to include of new categories to recognize unsung work and satisfy the spirits of followers with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would tabletop games, representing someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification backing this proposal is the most urgent above others. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and typically generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies currently feature genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types actually cover many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges in a particular game, intense tile-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked completely during that awards season
- Another imaginative release received no nominations that year
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Only a few logic titles barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent modest productions, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Comparable to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
