Tetris Wouldn't Win at The Game Awards — An Additional Classification Might Solve This

As any significant awards ceremony approaches, one notices a demand for introducing of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and fill the hearts of fans with niche passions.

My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case for why my demand stands as crucial and significant. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.

Categorizing Game Types

Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and it will always spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.

To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.

Current Gaming Award Categories

The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications actually cover many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Recognition Challenges

There are dozens outstanding logic titles launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.

  • A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything during that awards season
  • A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
  • Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
  • Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games globally and have been for an extended period.

The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.

Proposal and Rationale

Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.

And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.

Brenda Williams
Brenda Williams

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in online casino reviews and player advocacy.