As any prominent honors show nears, there’s always an outcry for the addition of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and satisfy the spirits of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague has already made for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification for why my demand stands as crucial and significant. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. But it is a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types effectively encompass many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to put them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated completely that year
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked in 2021
- Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals popular creative games for the title of highest-selling title ever; it also contends for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary game development, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.