Tetris Didn't Succeed at This Gaming Ceremony — Another Award Type Might Solve This

As any significant honors show draws close, one notices a clamor to include fresh award types to honor underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.

Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.

For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.

Present Award Structure

Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types actually cover numerous genres, and you can find room for numerous titles.

Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.

Recognition Challenges

Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.

• An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
• A different innovative game was excluded that year
• A beloved organization game got ignored that year
• Only a few logic titles scraped into independent or mobile categories

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're modest productions, but the art in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games worldwide and have been for over a decade.

The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.

Proposal and Rationale

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.

And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge game development, creating some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.