Each time a prominent prize-giving event nears, there’s always an outcry to include fresh award types to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and delight the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, but the art behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience challenges popular creative games competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
