Each time a significant honors show nears, you'll find a clamor for the addition of new categories to recognize unsung work and satisfy the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for board games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. However, it represents a necessary evil in the world of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment recently
- Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, however the design of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these represent titles without proper classification in important events. Puzzle game makers are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
