Whenever a prominent honors show nears, there’s always a demand for the addition of new categories to honor overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of followers with niche passions.
Another commentator has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal stands as crucial above others. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of gaming, showing incredible range they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies currently feature genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications actually cover many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition for anything during that awards season
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as most popular titles worldwide and have been for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience challenges famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
