Each time a prominent prize-giving event nears, you'll find an outcry for introducing of new categories to recognize unsung work and delight the hearts of fans with niche passions.
A fellow writer has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would board games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. But it is a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for numerous titles.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
- A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored that year
- Limited numbers of puzzle games scraped into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent small games, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles for the title of best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge game development, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
