As any significant awards ceremony nears, there’s always a clamor to include fresh award types to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator has already made for a horror game category. That would rule. So would board games, this being someone's personal cause. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil in the world of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories actually cover many game types, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored in 2021
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Well-known matching games rank among most popular titles worldwide and have been for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
