Each time a major honors show nears, one notices a demand to include fresh award types to recognize unsung work and satisfy the hearts of fans with niche passions.
Another commentator has already made for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for board games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession within the realm of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often small games, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences globally maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals well-known building titles claiming status as most purchased experience; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait decades.
