The Iconic Puzzle Game Didn't Triumph at The Game Awards — Another Award Type Could Fix That
As any major awards ceremony approaches, you'll find a clamor to include additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and delight the passions of fans dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are tabletop games, this being 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 for why my demand 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
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition for anything that year
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked that year
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles in the world 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’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, while interacting with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these represent titles without proper classification in important events. Brain-teaser creators function at the demanding boundary interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.