Tetris Didn't Succeed at The Game Awards — Another Award Type May Address This Issue
Each time a significant awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand to include additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of followers who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are board games, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason 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 be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications successfully include many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded that year
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
- Only a few logic titles barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals well-known building titles competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the demanding boundary game development, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.