As any prominent honors show draws close, one notices a clamor to include additional classifications to honor underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of followers who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal is the most urgent above others. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these award types successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release was excluded during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title got ignored recently
- Only a few puzzle games scraped into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're small games, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. You could fill multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the hard edge game development, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
