As any prominent awards ceremony nears, one notices a demand to include fresh award types to honor unsung work and delight the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences globally and have been for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience competes with well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
