The Iconic Puzzle Game Didn't Win at This Gaming Ceremony — An Additional Classification May Address This Issue
Each time a major honors show approaches, you'll find a demand for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and delight the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Not so for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles globally and have been for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge game development, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait generations.