As any major honors show nears, you'll find a demand for the addition fresh award types to honor underappreciated efforts and satisfy the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. So would tabletop games, which is someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize since similar to blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent above others. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for numerous titles.
Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, 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.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category during that awards season
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often compact experiences, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. One could readily select five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
