As any significant awards ceremony approaches, one notices an outcry for the addition additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, which is someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. The demand is this: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an essential concession within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category that year
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked in 2021
- Just some logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games in the world and have been for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, 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 five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.
