Whenever a prominent prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a clamor to include of new categories to honor unsung work and fill the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass many game types, making space possible for numerous titles.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Think about these this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game missed out in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked that year
- Only a few logic titles managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent modest productions, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles globally maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences for the title of best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, while interacting across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these represent titles without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers function at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.
