Each time a significant awards ceremony nears, one notices an outcry for the addition of new categories to honor overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification for why my demand stands as crucial and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types effectively encompass many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked recently
- Just some logic titles scraped into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games in the world and have been for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — 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. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge game development, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
