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

Whenever a prominent awards ceremony draws close, there’s always an outcry for the addition additional classifications to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.

A fellow writer previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why movie academies avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.

For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.

Present Award Structure

Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories actually cover a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles.

Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Acknowledgment Issues

Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested independent game categories.

  • A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
  • Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
  • Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
  • Limited numbers of puzzle games managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories

Importance of Logic Titles

These are often modest productions, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for an extended period.

The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games for the title of highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.

Proposal and Rationale

Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.

Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay generations.

John Collier
John Collier

Liam Voss is a seasoned online gaming strategist with over a decade of experience in the industry.