Each time a prominent awards ceremony draws close, one notices a clamor for the addition additional classifications to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, which is someone's personal cause. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand is the most urgent above others. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. But it is a necessary evil in the world of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition completely during that awards season
- Another creative title missed out during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title was overlooked in 2021
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most engaged experiences worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles claiming status as most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay generations.
