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As any prominent prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a demand for introducing additional classifications to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of fans with niche passions.

Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify one unified medium.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.

Current Gaming Award Categories

Leading game ceremonies offer these genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement for numerous titles.

This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.

The Representation Problem

There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.

• An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely that year
• Another creative title missed out that year
• Well-received sorting experience got ignored that year
• Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications

Significance of Puzzle Games

Commonly they're small games, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles globally continuing this trend for many years.

The famous puzzle experience challenges famous sandbox experiences claiming status as most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.

The Solution and Justification

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.

Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait generations.