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Each time a prominent awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a demand for the addition of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.

My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.

Categorizing Game Types

Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.

For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.

Current Gaming Award Categories

The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications actually cover many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.

Acknowledgment Issues

Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.

• An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything that year
• Another creative title was excluded in 2019
• A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
• Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for independent or mobile categories

Value of Brain-Teasers

These are often small games, however the design behind logic titles is of massive significance. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.

The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.

Proposal and Rationale

Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.

And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.