As any prominent awards ceremony nears, there’s always a clamor for introducing fresh award types to honor underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some puzzle games scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, but the art behind logic titles is of massive significance. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Comparable to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay decades.
