Each time a significant prize-giving event approaches, one notices an outcry to include of new categories to honor overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. So would board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand stands as crucial and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and typically start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why cinema institutions don’t do it. But it is a necessary evil in the world of gaming, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them 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.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies presently include award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories successfully include a lot of ground, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored that year
- Only a few logic titles scraped into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.
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 — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home in important events. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Just like film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
