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Whenever a prominent prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a clamor to include fresh award types to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.

A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request 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 defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and it will always generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.

For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.

Present Award Structure

The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications actually cover many game types, making space possible for numerous titles.

Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.

Recognition Challenges

Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers published annually without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.

• An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything in 2014
• A different innovative game missed out in 2019
• Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
• Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories

Value of Brain-Teasers

Commonly they're modest productions, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games worldwide continuing this trend for many years.

The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.

Proposal and Rationale

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.

Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.