Tetris Couldn't Win at The Game Awards — A New Category Might Solve This
As any major awards ceremony draws close, you'll find a clamor for the addition additional classifications to honor underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer made the case for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, which is someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions don’t do it. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types actually cover numerous genres, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated completely in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment recently
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're small games, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier game development, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.