The Iconic Puzzle Game Didn't Win at The Game Awards — A New Category Might Solve This
As any major prize-giving event draws close, there’s always a demand for introducing additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and delight the passions of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would strategy board titles, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal stands as crucial and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications actually cover a lot of ground, and you can find room for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent compact experiences, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most popular titles in the world and have been for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.