Tetris Couldn't Triumph at The Game Awards — A New Category May Address This Issue
As any significant awards ceremony approaches, one notices an outcry for introducing additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, this being someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Well-known matching games rank among most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge game development, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
