🔗 Share this article The Iconic Puzzle Game Couldn't Succeed at The Game Awards — An Additional Classification Might Solve This Whenever a major honors show approaches, you'll find a demand to include fresh award types to honor unsung work and fill the spirits of fans with niche passions. Another commentator made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need a category for puzzle games. The Genre Classification Challenge Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them as a single art form. For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial. Present Award Structure Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types successfully include many game types, allowing placement for most games within them. This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits. The Representation Problem There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions. A renowned logic title received no recognition for anything that year Another creative title missed out in 2019 Popular arranging title got ignored recently Only a few logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types Significance of Puzzle Games These are often small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for over a decade. The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, while interacting across multiple categories. The Solution and Justification Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles. Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the demanding boundary game development, developing some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.