As any major prize-giving event draws close, one notices an outcry for introducing of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of gaming, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience rivals famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge of video game design, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
