Abstract

The study explores the importance of game progression patterns in sports, particularly in terms of their role in increasing player excitement, maintaining observer interest, and optimizing game design. Using quantitative methods, the research explores independent variables, such as game progress patterns—balanced, one-sided, and seesaw—and their effects on dependent variables like engagement, satisfaction, and entertainment levels. Data from sports events between 2010 and 2023 were analyzed to validate five hypotheses: the importance of balanced games in maintaining player excitement, the role of one-sided games in diminishing spectator engagement, the ability of seesaw games to sustain long-term interest, the universality of game progression patterns across sports, and the optimization of game design using these patterns. It shows a strong correlation of the dynamics between balanced and seesaw game situations with high levels of excitement and engagement. It draws the general patterns in all sports and shows that the current patterns do have some gaps in terms of cultural and demographic representation, and the long-term effects of these patterns. Further research should be focused on new technologies and bigger datasets to further refine our understanding of game progression patterns and their global applicability.