Each time a major prize-giving event approaches, there’s always a clamor for introducing additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of fans with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal stands as crucial and significant. Here's the proposal: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature 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 many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, but the art behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The famous puzzle experience challenges well-known building titles competing to become best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and engaging with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. It would be easy to populate five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge of video game design, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
