Tetris Wouldn't Triumph at The Game Awards — Another Award Type Might Solve This

Whenever a prominent awards ceremony approaches, there’s always an outcry for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and delight the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.

My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand remains most pressing above others. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.

Categorizing Game Types

Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. However, it represents an essential concession within the realm of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.

Current Gaming Award Categories

Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.

This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.

Acknowledgment Issues

There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.

  • A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
  • A different innovative game missed out in 2019
  • Popular arranging title got ignored recently
  • Just some puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories

Importance of Logic Titles

Frequently they represent small games, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games globally maintaining this status for many years.

The iconic tile-matching title rivals well-known building titles claiming status as most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.

Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.

Sarah Hunter
Sarah Hunter

Voice coach and speech therapist with 15 years of experience helping professionals find their authentic voice.

Popular Post