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As any prominent awards ceremony nears, one notices an outcry for introducing fresh award types to honor unsung work and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.

Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front since similar to single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal is the most urgent above others. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains an essential concession within the realm of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form.

To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.

Existing Game Classification System

Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, and you can find room for most games within them.

Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: building puzzles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.

The Representation Problem

Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.

• One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything during that awards season
• A different innovative game received no nominations that year
• A beloved organization game got ignored that year
• Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories

Significance of Puzzle Games

Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for over a decade.

The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences for the title of highest-selling title ever; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.

Proposal and Rationale

Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.

To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge game development, developing some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait generations.