Each time a prominent awards ceremony nears, there’s always a demand for the addition of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague has already made for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies avoid this approach. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category during that awards season
- Another imaginative release missed out that year
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games in the world and have been for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games competing to become highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators operate at the demanding boundary game development, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay decades.
