As any major awards ceremony nears, there’s always a clamor for introducing fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for board games, this being someone's personal cause. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types actually cover numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers released every year lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition for anything during that awards season
- Another imaginative release received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Only a few logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent modest productions, yet the craft in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the demanding boundary of video game design, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
