As any major awards ceremony draws close, there’s always an outcry for introducing fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
Another commentator made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: We need a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, each quite distinct: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release was excluded that year
- Popular arranging title was overlooked that year
- Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent compact experiences, but the art in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as most popular titles in the world continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
