Whenever a significant prize-giving event nears, you'll find an outcry for the addition fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types actually cover numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked completely in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most popular titles globally continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges well-known building titles competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
