Feedback Loops

Game Design's a relatively new field. We don't really have a whole lot of vocabulary. Here's a couple important terms before I forget.

Positive Feedback Loop: This speeds up the end of the game. A player that does well is rewarded, which causes them to do even better, which gives them more rewards, which pushes them closer to winning, which will end the game. It isn't necessarily about rewards either. A player punished for doing badly and making them less likely to win is also a positive feedback loop. Speeding up the end of the game is good and exciting, but the rift between the people winning and the people losing isn't so good ALL the time. There's another tool for that.

Negative Feedback Loop: This delays the end of a game. A player that does badly is given some sort of consolation which will cause them to perform better and keep them in the struggle for longer. Or a player that does well has some burden placed upon them.

Use a positive feedback loop when you want an exciting finish or when you want the game to end. Use a negative feedback loop when you want to draw out the action and give the losers a fighting chance. You aren't restricted to using one or the other. Many games use both.