Whenever a major prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a demand to include fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of followers who have specialized interests.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. However, it represents a necessary evil for the industry of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Which classification works among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated in any category that year
- Another imaginative release was excluded in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment recently
- Just some logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience rivals famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the demanding boundary interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.