Whenever a significant awards ceremony nears, one notices a clamor to include of new categories to recognize unsung work and delight the hearts of followers who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for board games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why movie academies don’t do it. But it is an essential concession for the industry of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, making space possible for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
- Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games globally and have been for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games for the title of best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the demanding boundary game development, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
