Payoffs, Strategies, and the Game Matrix
Core vocabulary and reading skills for two-player payoff matrices, framed for game designers.
Keyboard Shortcuts
💡 Pro tip: Use keyboard shortcuts for faster studying!
Study Smart Tips for Payoffs, Strategies, and the Game Matrix
Master these concepts using proven study techniques that actually work:
Active Recall
Test yourself before flipping each card to strengthen memory retention
Spaced Repetition
Review difficult cards more frequently than easy ones
Multiple Sessions
Break study time into shorter, focused sessions
Explain Aloud
Verbalize answers to reinforce understanding
Questions Covered in This Set
10 cards to master
What are the three ingredients of a game in game theory?
Players (decision-makers), strategies (available choices), and payoffs (numbers showing how much each player likes each outcome).
What is a payoff?
A utility number standing in for how desirable an outcome is to a player — higher is better. It can be gold, points, territory, or any measure of what the player actually wants.
What is a payoff matrix (normal form)?
A grid representing a simultaneous-move game: row player's strategies as rows, column player's as columns, each cell holding a pair of payoffs.
In a cell written (3, 5), which number belongs to whom?
The first number (3) is the row player's payoff; the second (5) is the column player's payoff.
When can a game be written in normal form?
When players choose simultaneously — or in ignorance of each other's choice, which is equivalent.
In the Prisoner's Dilemma loot table, why is Steal a red flag for a designer?
Steal beats Share in every column (5>3 and 1>0), so it dominates — the choice isn't really a choice.
What does it mean if your row payoffs are identical across all columns?
The other player's choice is irrelevant to you — you've designed a solitaire game with extra steps.
What's wrong with a matrix where one cell dwarfs all others?
Players beeline for it and the rest of the matrix becomes decoration; there's no real tension.
What are three designer questions to ask of a matrix?
Is any row better no matter what the opponent does? Are payoffs interesting or lopsided? Does tension come from interaction rather than luck?
What makes the two-door coordination game (2,2)/(0,0)/(0,0)/(3,3) interesting?
No row dominates — whether Left is good for you depends entirely on the other player's choice, creating genuine interaction.
