Tetris Wouldn't Triumph at This Gaming Ceremony — Another Award Type Might Solve This

Each time a prominent honors show nears, one notices a clamor for introducing fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of fans with niche passions.

My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would tabletop games, which is someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent above others. This is the request: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise in the world of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.

For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.

Present Award Structure

Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, and you can find room for numerous titles.

Not so for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Acknowledgment Issues

Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.

  • One classic puzzle game received no recognition for anything that year
  • A different innovative game missed out in 2019
  • Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
  • Just some puzzle games scraped into small studio or handheld classifications

Significance of Puzzle Games

Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as most popular titles in the world and have been for many years.

The legendary block-stacking game challenges well-known building titles for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.

And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait decades.

Michael Harris
Michael Harris

A blockchain journalist and crypto enthusiast with a background in fintech, covering decentralized finance and emerging technologies.