As any major prize-giving event draws close, there’s always an outcry for introducing additional classifications to honor unsung work and fill the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. So would board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition completely in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- Popular arranging title got ignored that year
- Just some puzzle games scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences globally maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay decades.
