Tetris Couldn't Win at The Game Awards — A New Category May Address This Issue

As any prominent prize-giving event draws close, there’s always an outcry for the addition additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.

Another commentator has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal stands as crucial and significant. Here's the proposal: We need a category for puzzle games.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Classifying creative works is not a science; it’s very subjective, and typically spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession within the realm of video games, showing incredible range they hardly constitute a single creative category.

For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.

Present Award Structure

The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Acknowledgment Issues

There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.

  • One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely that year
  • Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
  • Popular arranging title got ignored recently
  • Limited numbers of brain-teasers scraped into independent or mobile categories

Significance of Puzzle Games

Commonly they're small games, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games globally and have been for over a decade.

The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, while interacting with almost every other genre.

Proposal and Rationale

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.

Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge of video game design, producing among essential manifestations of the video game form. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.

Nicole Moore
Nicole Moore

A London-based journalist with a decade of experience covering UK social trends and cultural developments.