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As any major prize-giving event draws close, there’s always a demand to include additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.

My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for board games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.

Categorizing Game Types

Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.

For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.

Existing Game Classification System

Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles.

Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.

The Representation Problem

Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.

• An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category during that awards season
• Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
• Popular arranging title got ignored in 2021
• Only a few logic titles scraped into small studio or handheld classifications

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games in the world and have been for many years.

The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.

Proposal and Rationale

Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.

And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay 35 years.