Whenever a major prize-giving event approaches, there’s always an outcry for introducing additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains an essential concession within the realm of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, intense tile-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're modest productions, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as most popular titles globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. It would be easy to populate five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
