As any prominent honors show approaches, there’s always a demand to include additional classifications to acknowledge overlooked contributions and delight the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal stands as crucial above others. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies offer these award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications successfully include many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these this year’s best games, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-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.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out that year
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games in the world and have been for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories in important events. Brain-teaser creators operate at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.
