Whenever a prominent prize-giving event approaches, there’s always an outcry for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and delight the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. So would board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains a necessary evil within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category during that awards season
- Another creative title was excluded in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked that year
- Limited numbers of logic titles scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent modest productions, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as the most-played games globally maintaining this status for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification in important events. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
