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Tetris Couldn't Succeed at The Game Awards — An Additional Classification May Address This Issue

Each time a prominent prize-giving event approaches, one notices a demand for introducing of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.

A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize just as with other single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.

Categorizing Game Types

Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.

Existing Game Classification System

Leading game ceremonies presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.

This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.

Acknowledgment Issues

Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.

  • An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything that year
  • Another imaginative release was excluded that year
  • Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment that year
  • Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories

Significance of Puzzle Games

These are often modest productions, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for many years.

The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, while interacting across multiple categories.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.

To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.

The writer

Matthew Robinson

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and innovation trends.

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