Each time a prominent prize-giving event nears, one notices a demand to include fresh award types to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, which are so diverse they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories actually cover many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Think about these this year’s best games, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
- Another imaginative release received no nominations that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often small games, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals 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 within interactive entertainment, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories in important events. Logic title developers are working at the demanding boundary game development, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
