Tetris Wouldn't Triumph at The Game Awards — An Additional Classification Could Fix That

As any significant prize-giving event approaches, there’s always a demand to include of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of followers with niche passions.

My colleague made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute one unified medium.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.

Present Award Structure

The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.

This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Acknowledgment Issues

Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.

  • An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
  • Another creative title missed out in 2019
  • Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment that year
  • Only a few logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications

Significance of Puzzle Games

Frequently they represent small games, however the design behind logic titles is of massive significance. Well-known matching games count as most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.

The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.

Proposal and Rationale

Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.

To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories in important events. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary game development, developing some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay decades.

Jeremy Butler
Jeremy Butler

Jamie is a digital marketing strategist with over a decade of experience in SEO and content creation, passionate about helping brands succeed online.