As any prominent awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a demand to include fresh award types to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an essential concession within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these award types successfully include a lot of ground, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles in a particular game, intense tile-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category that year
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked recently
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent modest productions, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. It would be easy to populate five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the demanding boundary of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait decades.
