As any prominent awards ceremony draws close, you'll find a clamor to include additional classifications to recognize unsung work and fill the passions of followers who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an essential concession within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything that year
- Another imaginative release missed out that year
- Popular arranging title was overlooked that year
- Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're modest productions, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of highest-selling title ever; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Just like cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
