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Tetris Didn't Win at This Gaming Ceremony — A New Category May Address This Issue

As any significant honors show nears, there’s always an outcry for the addition additional classifications to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the spirits of fans with niche passions.

A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are 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 blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case for why my demand stands as crucial and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.

Categorizing Game Types

Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession within the realm of video games, showing incredible range they hardly constitute as a single art form.

To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.

Existing Game Classification System

Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, making space possible accommodating various experiences.

Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.

The Representation Problem

Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.

  • A renowned logic title got overlooked for anything during that awards season
  • A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
  • A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
  • Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're compact experiences, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.

The legendary block-stacking game challenges well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and engaging with almost every other genre.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.

To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge of video game design, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.

LR
By

Laura Rios

Elena Voss is a mindfulness coach and travel writer who blends Eastern philosophy with Western practicality.

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