Tetris Didn't Win at The Game Awards — A New Category May Address This Issue
As any prominent prize-giving event nears, one notices a demand to include of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of fans with niche passions.
My colleague has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents a necessary evil within the realm of video games, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything in 2014
- A different innovative game missed out in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked in 2021
- Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent compact experiences, but the art in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.