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Each time a major awards ceremony draws close, you'll find a demand for introducing of new categories to honor underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.

Another commentator has already made for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize since similar to blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. But it is an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute a single creative category.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.

Current Gaming Award Categories

The major gaming awards offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories actually cover many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.

Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.

Recognition Challenges

Many instances occur outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.

• One classic puzzle game got overlooked completely that year
• Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
• Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
• Just some logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories

Value of Brain-Teasers

These are often compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games globally continuing this trend for many years.

The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.

To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.