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

Whenever a major prize-giving event nears, you'll find an outcry to include fresh award types to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the passions of fans who have specialized interests.

My colleague has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand remains most pressing above others. This is the request: We need an award type for logic-based games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and typically spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that cinema institutions avoid this approach. However, it represents a necessary evil for the industry of gaming, showing incredible range they hardly constitute one unified medium.

For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.

Existing Game Classification System

The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these award types successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.

Not so for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Think about these this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.

Recognition Challenges

Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers published annually lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.

  • A renowned logic title received no recognition completely during that awards season
  • Another creative title was excluded that year
  • Popular arranging title got ignored recently
  • Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for niche award types

Significance of Puzzle Games

These are often small games, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.

The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games for the title of best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.

To emphasize again, these include experiences without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.

Elizabeth Armstrong
Elizabeth Armstrong

A former professional poker player turned gaming strategist, specializing in probability analysis and risk management for online casinos.