Will You Cooperate?
Two players, each acting in their own self-interest, must decide whether to cooperate or defect — without knowing what the other will choose. The Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma is the foundation of game theory and explains everything from arms races to corporate price wars to neighborhood disputes. Play through multiple rounds and discover which strategy survives.
The Situation
"You and a stranger are arrested. Each of you must decide — in secret — whether to cooperate with the police or stay loyal to your partner. What do you do?"
🎯 Place Your Bets
Before we explain the payoffs, take a guess: what do you think most people do when put in this situation? Do they cooperate or defect?
🎯 Your Prediction
Locked in
—
Background
The Prisoner's Dilemma is a classic 2-player game where each player can either Cooperate (stay silent) or Defect (betray). If both cooperate, both get a mild reward. If one defects while the other cooperates, the defector walks free while the cooperator gets the worst outcome. If both defect, both get a moderate punishment. The twist: the rational choice for each individual leads to a worse outcome for both.
🔒 Lock in your prediction above to reveal the game
Your Result
You completed this scenario
—
Game results coming soon
Share your result — others can click through and play the same scenario.
💡 What This Reveals
Here's the paradox — if both players acted in their collective interest, they'd both cooperate and get the best combined outcome. But individual rationality pushes each toward defection. This tension between individual and collective rationality appears everywhere: in climate negotiations, office politics, and market competition.
Reflect
"Think of a situation in your own life where you've been in a prisoner's dilemma. Did you cooperate or defect? What happened? What would have changed if you could have communicated with the other person?"