Each time a major prize-giving event draws close, one notices a clamor for introducing additional classifications to honor unsung work and delight the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that cinema institutions avoid this approach. However, it represents a necessary evil in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated completely that year
- A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent compact experiences, but the art behind logic titles is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among the most-played games globally and have been for many years.
The famous puzzle experience challenges famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.
