Each time a major prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a demand for introducing fresh award types to recognize unsung work and fill the hearts of followers with niche passions.
Another commentator has already made for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types effectively encompass a lot of ground, making space possible for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some puzzle games scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these include experiences without proper classification in important events. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
