🔗 Share this article Tetris Didn't Succeed at The Game Awards — A New Category May Address This Issue Whenever a major prize-giving event nears, you'll find a demand for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of fans with niche passions. My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. The same goes for strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand stands as crucial and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles. The Genre Classification Challenge Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and it will always start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions avoid this approach. But it is a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute one unified medium. For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential. Existing Game Classification System Leading game ceremonies presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications actually cover many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences. Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles in a particular game, intense tile-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere. Acknowledgment Issues There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories. An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category in 2014 Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019 Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment in 2021 Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for independent or mobile categories Value of Brain-Teasers Frequently they represent compact experiences, however the design 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 legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories. Proposal and Rationale Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out. And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the demanding boundary game development, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.