Tetris Didn't Succeed at The Game Awards — Another Award Type May Address This Issue

Each time a significant honors show nears, there’s always a demand for introducing of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.

Another commentator previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, showing incredible range they hardly constitute one unified medium.

To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.

Present Award Structure

Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.

Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Think about these this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.

Recognition Challenges

Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year that have no home during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.

  • A renowned logic title got overlooked for anything in 2014
  • Another imaginative release was excluded that year
  • Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
  • Only a few puzzle games scraped into niche award types

Significance of Puzzle Games

These are often modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.

The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, while interacting across multiple categories.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.

To emphasize again, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.

Chad Wagner
Chad Wagner

A blockchain enthusiast and financial analyst with over 8 years of experience in digital currency markets and decentralized technologies.