Tetris Wouldn't Win at This Gaming Ceremony — A New Category Could Fix That

Whenever a prominent prize-giving event nears, one notices a demand for introducing of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of followers with niche passions.

My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. So would board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. The demand is this: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions avoid this approach. However, it represents a necessary evil within the realm of video games, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.

For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.

Present Award Structure

Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass many game types, making space possible for most games within them.

Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.

The Representation Problem

Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.

• One classic puzzle game got overlooked for anything that year
• A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
• A beloved organization game got ignored that year
• Only a few brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types

Importance of Logic Titles

These are often modest productions, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.

The famous puzzle experience challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.

Restating the point, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay decades.