As any prominent honors show draws close, there’s always a demand to include of new categories to honor underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition completely that year
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Just some puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the demanding boundary game development, producing among essential manifestations of the video game form. Just like film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
