Tetris Didn't Win at The Game Awards — An Additional Classification May Address This Issue

As any significant honors show approaches, one notices an outcry for the addition fresh award types to recognize unsung work and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.

My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize since similar to blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand stands as crucial and important of all. This is the request: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.

Categorizing Game Types

Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify one unified medium.

To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.

Current Gaming Award Categories

Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.

Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, intense tile-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.

The Representation Problem

There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.

  • One classic puzzle game got overlooked for anything during that awards season
  • A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
  • A beloved organization game got ignored in 2021
  • Limited numbers of logic titles scraped into small studio or handheld classifications

Value of Brain-Teasers

Frequently they represent small games, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games in the world and have been for over a decade.

The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.

To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.

Diana Jackson
Diana Jackson

A veteran gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino strategies and jackpot hunting.