Whenever a prominent awards ceremony approaches, there’s always an outcry to include of new categories to honor unsung work and fill the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification backing this proposal is the most urgent above others. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil within the realm of gaming, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass many game types, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category during that awards season
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some logic titles scraped into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often compact experiences, but the art behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games in the world and have been for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification in important events. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge of video game design, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
