Tetris Wouldn't Win at This Gaming Ceremony — Another Award Type Could Fix That

As any prominent prize-giving event nears, there’s always a clamor for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.

Another commentator has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, this being someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.

Categorizing Game Types

Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute one unified medium.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.

Existing Game Classification System

Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.

Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Acknowledgment Issues

Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.

  • An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition in any category that year
  • Another creative title was excluded during that ceremony
  • A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
  • Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types

Importance of Logic Titles

Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games globally maintaining this status for over a decade.

The famous puzzle experience challenges well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.

Proposal and Rationale

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.

To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay decades.

Joseph Wong
Joseph Wong

A tech journalist and avid gamer with over a decade of experience covering the intersection of gaming and emerging technologies.