Whenever a major prize-giving event nears, you'll find a clamor for introducing fresh award types to recognize unsung work and satisfy the passions of fans dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. Equally deserving are board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal is the most urgent above others. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything during that awards season
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games worldwide and have been for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Just like cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
