Tetris Didn't Win at This Gaming Ceremony — A New Category Could Fix That
As any major prize-giving event nears, one notices a demand for introducing of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and delight the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. So would strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: structural challenges in a particular game, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category that year
- Another imaginative release missed out that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
- Only a few logic titles managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, however the design of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games in the world and have been for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.