As any major awards ceremony draws close, you'll find a demand for the addition fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these award types effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges 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? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition in any category during that awards season
- Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences globally and have been for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, while interacting with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait generations.
