Each time a significant prize-giving event nears, one notices a demand for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and fill the hearts of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification 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; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition for anything in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked in 2021
- Just some puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences in the world and have been for many years.
The famous puzzle experience rivals popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home in important events. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
