Tetris Wouldn't Succeed at The Game Awards — A New Category Could Fix That

As any significant prize-giving event approaches, you'll find a demand for introducing additional classifications to recognize unsung work and delight the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.

My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.

Existing Game Classification System

Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications successfully include many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Acknowledgment Issues

Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.

  • One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category during that awards season
  • Another imaginative release received no nominations that year
  • Popular arranging title got ignored in 2021
  • Just some logic titles scraped into small studio or handheld classifications

Significance of Puzzle Games

Frequently they represent small games, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.

The legendary block-stacking game rivals popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.

The Solution and Justification

Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.

To emphasize again, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories in important events. Logic title developers function at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay 35 years.

Aimee Black
Aimee Black

Lena Voss is a digital futurist and writer exploring the intersection of technology, society, and virtual worlds.