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As any major honors show nears, you'll find a clamor for introducing additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.

My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, this being someone's personal cause. However, I must insist for pushing forward because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial above others. Here's the proposal: We need a category for puzzle games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.

For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.

Present Award Structure

The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications actually cover many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.

Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.

Recognition Challenges

Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.

• A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
• A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
• Popular arranging title was overlooked recently
• Limited numbers of brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories

Significance of Puzzle Games

These are often compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among the most-played games globally maintaining this status for many years.

The iconic tile-matching title rivals popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, while interacting across multiple categories.

Recommendation and Reasoning

Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.

And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge game development, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay generations.