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Each time a major honors show nears, one notices a clamor for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and satisfy the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.

My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for strategy board titles, this being someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. But it is a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify one unified medium.

For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.

Current Gaming Award Categories

The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.

Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: building puzzles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.

The Representation Problem

Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.

• An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition for anything in 2014
• Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
• Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
• Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications

Value of Brain-Teasers

Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.

The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.

The Solution and Justification

Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.

To emphasize again, these include experiences without proper classification in important events. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge game development, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.