Tetris Didn't Win at This Gaming Ceremony — A New Category Could Fix That

As any significant prize-giving event approaches, you'll find a clamor for the addition additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.

A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial and significant. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.

To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.

Existing Game Classification System

The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, and you can find room for most games within them.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition 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.

Recognition Challenges

Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers published annually without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.

  • An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything that year
  • Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
  • Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
  • Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications

Significance of Puzzle Games

These are often compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.

The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games for the title of highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.

Proposal and Rationale

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent so many good games out.

And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge of video game design, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.

Dr. Susan Hull
Dr. Susan Hull

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino strategy and game theory.