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Tetris Didn't Succeed at The Game Awards — Another Award Type Might Solve This

As any major prize-giving event approaches, there’s always a demand to include fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the spirits of fans with niche passions.

A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for board games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent above others. This is the request: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.

For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.

Existing Game Classification System

Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.

Recognition Challenges

Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.

  • An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
  • A different innovative game received no nominations during that ceremony
  • A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
  • Only a few logic titles scraped into independent or mobile categories

Significance of Puzzle Games

Frequently they represent small games, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for an extended period.

The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.

Proposal and Rationale

Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.

Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.

By

Anthony Mclaughlin

Lena is a sustainability advocate and urban designer passionate about green living in compact cities.

Future Living Maastricht

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