🔗 Share this article The Iconic Puzzle Game Didn't Triumph at The Game Awards — An Additional Classification Might Solve This Each time a major prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a demand for introducing fresh award types to honor underappreciated efforts and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests. Another commentator made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles. Categorizing Game Types Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form. For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential. Present Award Structure The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles. This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits. Recognition Challenges Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories. An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition in any category during that awards season A different innovative game received no nominations that year Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment that year Only a few brain-teasers scraped into independent or mobile categories Significance of Puzzle Games These are often modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for many years. The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting with almost every other genre. Proposal and Rationale Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences. To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home in important events. Logic title developers are working at the demanding boundary of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.