As any significant awards ceremony draws close, one notices an outcry to include of new categories to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification for why my demand stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and typically generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories actually cover many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent modest productions, but the art in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games globally maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait generations.