Tetris Wouldn't Triumph at The Game Awards — Another Award Type Could Fix That
Whenever a major prize-giving event draws close, one notices a clamor to include of new categories to acknowledge overlooked contributions and delight the hearts of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification for why my demand is the most urgent above others. Here's the proposal: We need a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. But it is an essential concession within the realm of video games, which are so diverse they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: the architectural riddles in a particular game, intense tile-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, but the art in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. You could fill multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.