Skip to content
Discover in-depth articles, expert opinions, and the latest…

The Iconic Puzzle Game Didn't Win at The Game Awards — A New Category May Address This Issue

Each time a prominent awards ceremony nears, you'll find a demand to include of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the passions of fans who have specialized interests.

My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would board games, this being someone's personal cause. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.

Categorizing Game Types

Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.

To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.

Present Award Structure

The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.

This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.

Acknowledgment Issues

There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.

  • A renowned logic title received no recognition completely in 2014
  • Another creative title was excluded that year
  • A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
  • Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.

The legendary block-stacking game challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting with diverse game types.

Proposal and Rationale

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. It would be easy to populate five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent so many good games out.

Restating the point, these are games without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.

About the author

Chelsea Harris

A seasoned tech journalist and blogger with a passion for uncovering digital trends.

Prime Blog Scope

Type to search articles.