Tetris Wouldn't Win at This Gaming Ceremony — A New Category Might Solve This

As any significant awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a clamor for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the passions of followers with niche passions.

A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. The same goes for strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.

Categorizing Game Types

Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form.

To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.

Existing Game Classification System

Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.

Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Acknowledgment Issues

Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.

  • One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category during that awards season
  • A different innovative game missed out in 2019
  • Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment that year
  • Limited numbers of brain-teasers managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications

Importance of Logic Titles

These are often modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as most engaged experiences worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.

The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.

The Solution and Justification

Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. You could fill a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.

To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.

Lynn Garrett
Lynn Garrett

Marlon Vance is a gaming industry analyst with over a decade of experience in slot machine technology and regulatory compliance.