As any major honors show approaches, you'll find an outcry for introducing of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request is the most urgent above others. This is the request: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these award types effectively encompass numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge game development, developing some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.
