As any prominent awards ceremony approaches, you'll find a clamor for the addition additional classifications to honor unsung work and satisfy the spirits of fans dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked for anything during that awards season
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers scraped into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're small games, however the design in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles claiming status as most purchased experience; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge interactive creation, producing among most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.
