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The Iconic Puzzle Game Wouldn't Triumph at The Game Awards — A New Category Could Fix That

Each time a major prize-giving event approaches, there’s always an outcry to include fresh award types to honor overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.

A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front since similar to single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal is the most urgent above others. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. 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.

To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.

Current Gaming Award Categories

Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.

This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.

Acknowledgment Issues

Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.

  • A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category during that awards season
  • A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
  • A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
  • Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles worldwide and have been for an extended period.

The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it also contends for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, while interacting with almost every other genre.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.

And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.

BA
The writer

Brian Adams

Julian Hartwell is a freelance journalist and content strategist with a decade of experience in digital media.

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