Whenever a major awards ceremony approaches, you'll find a demand to include of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of enthusiasts with niche passions.
A fellow writer previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked for anything in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often small games, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait generations.
