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As any major awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand to include fresh award types to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of followers who have specialized interests.

My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case 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

Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.

Present Award Structure

The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications successfully include many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.

Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.

Recognition Challenges

Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.

• One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category in 2014
• Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
• A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
• Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications

Significance of Puzzle Games

These are often modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most engaged experiences in the world continuing this trend for an extended period.

The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it also contends as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.

And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification at major gaming awards. Logic title developers are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, creating some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.