Tetris Couldn't Win at This Gaming Ceremony — A New Category Might Solve This
As any major prize-giving event nears, you'll find an outcry for introducing fresh award types to recognize unsung work and satisfy the spirits of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of video games, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment recently
- Limited numbers of logic titles scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, however the design behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among most popular titles worldwide continuing this trend for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.