As any significant awards ceremony draws close, there’s always an outcry for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and delight the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications actually cover numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked completely during that awards season
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're small games, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as the most-played games globally and have been for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.
