As any prominent prize-giving event approaches, there’s always a demand for the addition of new categories to honor underappreciated efforts and satisfy the spirits of followers with niche passions.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why movie academies don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these award types successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles competing to become best-selling game of all time; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, while interacting with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these represent titles without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
