As any significant awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand for introducing of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of followers who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition for anything during that awards season
- A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title was overlooked that year
- Just some logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge of video game design, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
