Whenever a significant awards ceremony draws close, there’s always an outcry to include additional classifications to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of followers with niche passions.
A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Just some puzzle games barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience challenges popular creative games for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait decades.
