🔗 Share this article Tetris Didn't Triumph at The Game Awards — Another Award Type Might Solve This Whenever a prominent prize-giving event approaches, you'll find an outcry for introducing of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts with niche passions. Another commentator made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, which is someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal stands as crucial and important of all. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games. Categorizing Game Types Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason cinema institutions avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession for the industry of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify a single creative category. For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential. Current Gaming Award Categories The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room accommodating various experiences. Different situation exists for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere. The Representation Problem Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories. One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything during that awards season Another creative title missed out during that ceremony Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently Limited numbers of logic titles scraped into independent or mobile categories Significance of Puzzle Games These are often modest productions, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period. The famous puzzle experience challenges popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, while interacting with diverse game types. The Solution and Justification Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences. Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge game development, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.