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

Each time a major honors show draws close, you'll find a demand to include additional classifications to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.

Another commentator has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. So would strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.

Current Gaming Award Categories

Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles.

Not so for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges in a particular game, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.

Recognition Challenges

There are dozens excellent brain-teasers launched regularly lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.

  • An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition completely during that awards season
  • Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
  • A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
  • Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're small games, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for many years.

The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.

The Solution and Justification

Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.

To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the demanding boundary game development, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.

Susan Juarez
Susan Juarez

A Milan-based cultural historian and festival enthusiast with a passion for sharing local traditions and events.