Each time a significant awards ceremony nears, one notices a demand for introducing additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of fans dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist for pushing forward because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition completely that year
- A different innovative game missed out that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent small games, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games count as most popular titles globally and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge game development, producing among most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay decades.
