As any significant prize-giving event approaches, you'll find an outcry for the addition of new categories to honor underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of fans dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. So would board games, representing someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal stands as crucial and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, making space possible for numerous titles.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often small games, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience challenges popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and engaging across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. You could fill multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
