As any prominent honors show draws close, there’s always a demand for introducing additional classifications to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of followers who have specialized interests.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request stands as crucial above others. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to put them. Think about these outstanding current releases, all very different: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories in important events. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary game development, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay decades.
