🔗 Share this article

As any major awards ceremony nears, there’s always a clamor for introducing additional classifications to recognize unsung work and delight the spirits of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.

My colleague made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, which is someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing above others. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.

Categorizing Game Types

Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form.

To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.

Existing Game Classification System

Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.

The Representation Problem

There are dozens outstanding logic titles launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.

• One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
• Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
• A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
• Just some puzzle games barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications

Value of Brain-Teasers

These are often modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games worldwide and have been for many years.

The famous puzzle experience competes with well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.

Proposal and Rationale

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.

Restating the point, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge game development, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.