🔗 Share this article Tetris Couldn't Succeed at The Game Awards — A New Category Might Solve This Each time a prominent prize-giving event nears, you'll find a clamor to include additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and delight the hearts of followers with niche passions. My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games. The Genre Classification Challenge Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form. For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential. Present Award Structure Leading game ceremonies currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them. Not so for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where. Acknowledgment Issues Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races. An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely that year Another creative title received no nominations in 2019 A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021 Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types Significance of Puzzle Games These are often modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles in the world continuing this trend for many years. The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre. Recommendation and Reasoning Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences. To emphasize again, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers function at the hard edge game development, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.