Each time a prominent prize-giving event draws close, there’s always an outcry for introducing additional classifications to honor unsung work and fill the passions of followers who have specialized interests.
Another commentator has already made for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for board games, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal stands as crucial above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories successfully include many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category that year
- Another creative title was excluded that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Limited numbers of logic titles scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games globally maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.
