Tetris Couldn't Win at This Gaming Ceremony — An Additional Classification May Address This Issue

Each time a major honors show nears, one notices a demand to include of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.

Another commentator made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.

Categorizing Game Types

Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession within the realm of video games, showing incredible range they hardly constitute a single creative category.

For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.

Present Award Structure

Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications effectively encompass many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.

Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to put them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, all very different: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.

The Representation Problem

There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.

  • An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition completely during that awards season
  • A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
  • Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
  • Just some logic titles managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications

Value of Brain-Teasers

Frequently they represent compact experiences, but the art behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for many years.

The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.

And to reiterate, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.

Katherine Mercado
Katherine Mercado

Emily is a horticulturist and food writer passionate about farm-to-table living and seasonal British produce.