Tetris Couldn't Triumph at The Game Awards — Another Award Type May Address This Issue

As any major honors show draws close, there’s always an outcry for the addition of new categories to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of fans who have specialized interests.

A fellow writer made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for board games, this being someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing and significant. This is the request: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and typically generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an essential concession within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.

To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.

Present Award Structure

Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, making space possible accommodating various experiences.

Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, 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? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Recognition Challenges

Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.

  • An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything that year
  • Another imaginative release was excluded that year
  • A beloved organization game got ignored that year
  • Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories

Significance of Puzzle Games

Frequently they represent modest productions, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.

The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.

And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the demanding boundary of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.

Sara Tucker
Sara Tucker

Elara Vance is a tech journalist and business strategist with over a decade of experience covering digital transformation and startup ecosystems.