Whenever a significant prize-giving event approaches, one notices a demand for introducing additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of followers with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. The same goes for board games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated completely in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, but the art in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences in the world and have been for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience challenges well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these represent titles without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait decades.
