The Iconic Puzzle Game Didn't Win at The Game Awards — A New Category May Address This Issue
As any major prize-giving event approaches, you'll find an outcry for the addition of new categories to recognize unsung work and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that movie academies avoid this approach. However, it represents an essential concession within the realm 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 compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles launched regularly without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked completely during that awards season
- A different innovative game received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers function at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait decades.
