🔗 Share this article Tetris Couldn't Succeed at The Game Awards — A New Category Could Fix That Whenever a major honors show approaches, one notices a clamor for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of followers with niche passions. My colleague has already made for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request stands as crucial above others. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games. Categorizing Game Types Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why movie academies avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium. For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital. Existing Game Classification System The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories actually cover many game types, making space possible for most games within them. This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: building puzzles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Simply put, no category fits. Acknowledgment Issues Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions. One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category that year A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021 Limited numbers of brain-teasers managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications Significance of Puzzle Games Frequently they represent compact experiences, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as most popular titles globally maintaining this status for an extended period. The legendary block-stacking game rivals popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre. Proposal and Rationale Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences. Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Comparable to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.