Each time a major awards ceremony nears, there’s always a clamor for the addition of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and fill the passions of fans with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why movie academies avoid this approach. However, it represents a necessary evil in the world of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated completely that year
- A different innovative game was excluded in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. You could fill multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
