The Iconic Puzzle Game Didn't Succeed at The Game Awards — Another Award Type May Address This Issue
Each time a significant awards ceremony draws close, you'll find an outcry for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and satisfy the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. So would board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why cinema institutions don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, making space possible for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, intense tile-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most popular titles in the world continuing this trend for many years.
The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators operate at the demanding boundary game development, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay decades.