Tetris Wouldn't Win at The Game Awards — A New Category Might Solve This

As any prominent awards ceremony draws close, you'll find a clamor to include of new categories to recognize unsung work and delight the hearts of followers who have specialized interests.

Another commentator made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing above others. This is the request: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.

To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.

Current Gaming Award Categories

The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement for numerous titles.

Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.

Acknowledgment Issues

Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.

  • An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
  • Another creative title was excluded during that ceremony
  • A beloved organization game got ignored in 2021
  • Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types

Importance of Logic Titles

These are often small games, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.

The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.

To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories in important events. Brain-teaser creators operate at the demanding boundary game development, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.

Jennifer Ruiz
Jennifer Ruiz

Elara is a digital artist and content strategist with over a decade of experience in visual media and creative blogging.