Tetris Wouldn't Win at The Game Awards — Another Award Type Could Fix That
Whenever a prominent awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand for the addition of new categories to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications actually cover many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything during that awards season
- A different innovative game missed out that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Just some puzzle games scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, yet the craft in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.