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Tetris Didn't Succeed at The Game Awards — Another Award Type Could Fix That

Each time a significant honors show draws close, one notices a demand to include fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the hearts of followers who have specialized interests.

Another commentator has already made supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. The same goes for board games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification for why my demand is the most urgent above others. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute as a single art form.

To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.

Present Award Structure

Leading game ceremonies presently include award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications actually cover a lot of ground, making space possible accommodating various experiences.

Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.

Acknowledgment Issues

There are dozens outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.

  • A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
  • A different innovative game missed out in 2019
  • A beloved organization game got ignored that year
  • Just some logic titles scraped into independent or mobile categories

Significance of Puzzle Games

Commonly they're small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.

The iconic tile-matching title challenges famous sandbox experiences competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.

And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.

About the author

Tracy Sampson

A passionate writer and innovation coach dedicated to helping others unlock their creative potential through practical strategies.

HatchSpot UK

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