As any prominent awards ceremony approaches, you'll find a clamor to include fresh award types to recognize overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of fans with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for strategy board titles, this being 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 and significant. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works is not a science; it’s very subjective, and typically generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason cinema institutions avoid this approach. However, it represents a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories successfully include many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked for anything that year
- Another imaginative release received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience challenges popular creative games 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 across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. You could fill five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
