As any prominent prize-giving event approaches, one notices an outcry to include of new categories to honor overlooked contributions and delight the passions of followers who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize since similar to blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand stands as crucial above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and typically spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. However, it represents an essential concession within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.