How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

The Competition Principle

Disciplines > Game Design > Principles > The Competition Principle

Principle | Action | Discussion | See also

Principle

We are highly competitive and like to win.

Action

Set people in competition with one another, with ultimate winners and losers. Make the criteria clear for how to win the game.

The game may end and the winner determined when:

• The winner defeats opponents according to specific rules, such as in chess.
• The winner is the person who reaches the end of the game first, such as in races.
• A sequence is completed and the winner is found to have more points than others, such when all cards are played in some card games.
• The winner has more points when the time allotted for play has ended, such as in football.
• The winner has gained a certain number of points or items, such as collecting suits in some card games.

The winner may be an individual or may be a team, depending on the game. Where there are multiple players or teams, there may be a ranked order with people coming second, third, etc., or there may be a single winner and multiple losers. If the game is played in stages, such as a a tournament, at each stage there may be multiple winners.

Winning is often symbolic, although there are games where more is at stake, such as in gambling or professional sports, where large sums of money may be involved.

Discussion

People are often highly competitive, with a deep need to Win (or at least not lose). This is because winning gives us social status and losing reduces status. Note how the language of games around winning and losing is similar to the language of war, with people being victors, having strategies, destroying the enemy and so on.

The joy in winning can often be seen with winners punching the air or otherwise showing delight, while losers may show dejection, although there is often pressure for them to be 'good losers' as they smile and congratulate the winners.

See also

The Need to Win, The Need for Status