Each time a prominent prize-giving event draws close, there’s always a demand for the addition of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of followers who have specialized interests.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward because like all blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and inevitably spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of video games, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Just some logic titles barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles globally maintaining this status for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games for the title of highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
