🔗 Share this article Tetris Wouldn't Win at The Game Awards — Another Award Type Might Solve This Each time a prominent honors show approaches, you'll find a demand to include of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and fill the passions of enthusiasts with niche passions. A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would board games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist for pushing forward because like all dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification backing this proposal stands as crucial above others. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games. Organizing Gaming Categories Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium. For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital. Present Award Structure The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories effectively encompass a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles. Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges in a particular game, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where. Acknowledgment Issues There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions. An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition in any category during that awards season Another creative title missed out in 2019 A beloved organization game was overlooked that year Limited numbers of brain-teasers scraped into niche award types Value of Brain-Teasers These are often compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as most popular titles globally maintaining this status for many years. The legendary block-stacking game challenges famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories. The Solution and Justification Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out. Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.