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In Part I, we talked a little about the types of games and how to represent those games on paper, specifically the matrix game in which strategies are laid out for two players in a table. We discussed how a player’s strategies can dominate each other and that dominating strategies should always be chosen over the ones they dominate. And finally, we discussed the concept of the saddle point; the outcome of the most cautious move by both players and therefore the best move for both players to make. (One thing that was not mentioned was that there may be multiple saddle points). If you recall from that discussion, sometimes there are no saddle points. If this is the case, the players have no way of knowing what move will result in the best payoff. This brings us to the concept of a mixed strategy. In this part of the discussion, the information goes a bit deeper and may require that you reread in order to fully unerstand the material as presented. If you have not read Part I of this essay, you are advised to go back and do so.

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Game Theory is the mathematical theory of conflict and cooperation. It is a study of choices and outcomes, of strategies and payoffs. Mathematicians apply Game Theory to business strategies, wars, global politics and economics; any event that puts two or more ‘players’ into conflict. It is used to predict the payoffs of strategies that a player may take in these ‘games’.

As game designers in the entertainment industry, learning and applying the basic principals and techniques of Game Theory in our daily work will help us build better games. Where mathematicians use Game Theory to predict global events and determine strategies for the players involved, game designers can use it to map out the strategies of our games in a logical and rational manner. We can use it to visually represent the choices and outcomes we want our players to have.

Game Theory is a subject involving complex equations and warrants further study beyond the scope of this essay. However, this three part series will attempt to give you a basic understanding of Game Theory in a way that relates directly to helping you build better game designs.

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