The Iconic Puzzle Game Wouldn't Win at The Game Awards — Another Award Type May Address This Issue

Each time a major prize-giving event approaches, one notices an outcry for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and delight the passions of fans dedicated to specific genres.

Another commentator made the case for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies avoid this approach. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of gaming, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.

For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.

Present Award Structure

The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, allowing placement for numerous titles.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Acknowledgment Issues

Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.

  • One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything during that awards season
  • Another creative title missed out in 2019
  • Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
  • Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types

Value of Brain-Teasers

These are often modest productions, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as most popular titles worldwide and have been for an extended period.

The legendary block-stacking game challenges well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.

And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.

Martin Campbell
Martin Campbell

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