As any significant honors show draws close, one notices a clamor to include additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. So would board games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise within the realm of gaming, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category that year
- A different innovative game missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Just some brain-teasers scraped into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often small games, however the design behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge game development, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
