As any major honors show approaches, one notices an outcry to include of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, this being someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. But it is an essential concession in the world of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles in a particular game, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers published annually lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything during that awards season
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked in 2021
- Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games for the title of 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.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary game development, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.
