🔗 Share this article

Each time a major prize-giving event approaches, one notices an outcry for the addition additional classifications to honor unsung work and satisfy the passions of fans with niche passions.

My colleague has already made for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify a single creative category.

To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.

Existing Game Classification System

The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories actually cover many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.

The Representation Problem

Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.

• A renowned logic title got overlooked for anything in 2014
• A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
• Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
• Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types

Importance of Logic Titles

Frequently they represent modest productions, but the art behind logic titles is of massive significance. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for an extended period.

The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.

And to reiterate, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, creating some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.