Each time a major awards ceremony nears, one notices a clamor for the addition fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the passions of fans with niche passions.
A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would board games, this being someone's personal cause. However, I must insist for pushing forward because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications actually cover many game types, making space possible for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: structural challenges in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often small games, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most popular titles globally continuing this trend for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles competing to become most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Just like film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
