Tetris Couldn't Triumph at This Gaming Ceremony — A New Category May Address This Issue

Each time a major honors show nears, you'll find a demand for introducing additional classifications to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of followers who have specialized interests.

My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. The demand is this: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute one unified medium.

To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.

Present Award Structure

The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these award types successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.

This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.

The Representation Problem

Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.

• One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category during that awards season
• A different innovative game was excluded that year
• A beloved organization game got ignored in 2021
• Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for niche award types

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're small games, but the art behind logic titles is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.

The famous puzzle experience challenges popular creative games competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.

The Solution and Justification

Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.

And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait decades.