Tetris Couldn't Succeed at The Game Awards — An Additional Classification May Address This Issue

Each time a prominent honors show nears, one notices a clamor for the addition of new categories to acknowledge overlooked contributions and delight the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.

A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. The demand is this: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.

Categorizing Game Types

Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify a single creative category.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.

Existing Game Classification System

The major gaming awards offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.

Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.

The Representation Problem

Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.

• A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything during that awards season
• A different innovative game was excluded in 2019
• A beloved organization game got ignored that year
• Only a few logic titles scraped into niche award types

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're small games, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as most popular titles in the world continuing this trend for many years.

The famous puzzle experience challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.

The Solution and Justification

Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.

And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories in important events. Logic title developers are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.