Applied Game Theory

The use of game theory’s mathematical models—which analyze strategic interactions between rational decision-makers—to solve real-world problems in economics, business, politics, and biology. It moves beyond the textbook “Prisoner’s Dilemma” to design auctions, negotiate treaties, price products, or even schedule airport security checks. Practitioners don’t just predict what players will do; they design the rules of the “game” itself to incentivize better outcomes, like creating a market that naturally reduces pollution or a contract that aligns an employee’s interests with the company’s.

Example: “The city used applied game theory to fix traffic. Instead of just adding lights, they made each traffic signal an ‘agent’ in a game, rewarded for keeping cars moving on its road but penalized for creating gridlock on intersecting streets. The signals started cooperating, learning to form ‘green waves.’ They didn’t just react to traffic; they played a city-sized game of optimization and won.”

by Abzunammu February 2, 2026

Historical Game Theory

The analytical approach of using game theory to model and understand the strategic decisions of historical actors—kings, generals, diplomats, revolutionaries. It asks: given their information, incentives, and the likely actions of their rivals, was going to war, signing a treaty, or betraying an ally a “rational” move? This doesn’t reduce history to math, but provides a sharp lens to cut through narrative and see the cold, strategic calculus behind pivotal moments.

Example: “A historical game theory analysis of the Cuban Missile Crisis frames it not as a moral showdown, but as a brutal game of ‘Chicken’ between Kennedy and Khrushchev. Each move—the blockade, the secret deal to remove missiles from Turkey—was a strategic play to force the other to swerve (back down) without triggering mutual annihilation. It shows how they rationally danced on the edge of an irrational abyss.”

by Abzunammu February 2, 2026

Social Game Theory

The application of game theory to everyday interpersonal and social dynamics—friendship, reputation, gossip, dating, and office politics. It decodes the unspoken rules and strategies behind why you buy a round of drinks, how gossip spreads, or the subtle dance of a flirtation. It treats social life as a series of iterated games where the payoff is social capital, trust, or mating success.

Example: “Explaining why I always help my neighbor move his couch, my friend used social game theory: ‘It’s an iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma. You cooperate (help) to build trust and reciprocal cooperation. If you defect (refuse), you save an afternoon but lose future help and damage your reputation in our social network. The couch isn’t furniture; it’s a token in a long-term trust game.’”

by Abzunammu February 2, 2026

Mercenary Games

A term for games—video games, tabletop games, any form of play—that are designed not for fun, art, or expression but purely for profit, exploiting players through microtransactions, loot boxes, pay-to-win mechanics, and addictive design. Mercenary Games treat players not as participants but as revenue streams, not as audiences but as targets. They're designed by psychologists to maximize engagement and spending, not enjoyment. Mercenary Games are the dark side of the gaming industry, the reason your kid's favorite game costs $100 to actually play, the reason "free-to-play" is the most expensive model. They're games as extraction, play as exploitation.

Example: "He downloaded a game that looked fun—cool graphics, interesting mechanics. Three hours later, he'd spent $50 on loot boxes just to stay competitive. Mercenary Games had done their work: turning play into payment, fun into extraction. He uninstalled, but the money was gone. The game wasn't designed for him to enjoy; it was designed for him to spend."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Greedy Games

A close cousin to mercenary games, greedy games are designed to extract maximum profit from players through any means necessary—aggressive monetization, manipulative design, addictive loops. The difference is one of tone: mercenary games are coldly calculated; greedy games are shamelessly avaricious. They'll sell you power, sell you cosmetics, sell you the ability to skip the grind they designed to be grindy. Greedy games treat players as wallets with thumbs, as ATMs that occasionally press buttons. They're the reason the games industry is worth more than movies and music combined—and the reason players are increasingly angry.

Example: "The game had a $60 price tag, $30 season pass, $20 battle pass, and microtransactions for everything from skins to experience boosts. Greedy Games had made their product a subscription masquerading as a purchase. He'd paid $110 before he even finished the tutorial. The game wasn't content; it was extraction."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Mercenary Gaming

The practice or industry of designing and producing mercenary games—games whose primary purpose is profit extraction, not player enjoyment. Mercenary Gaming is the dominant business model of the contemporary games industry, where games are designed by data scientists and psychologists to maximize engagement and spending. It's the reason your phone buzzes with notifications to return to your "free" game, the reason loot boxes feel so compelling, the reason "whales" (big spenders) are more important than players. Mercenary Gaming has transformed play from a leisure activity into a consumption activity, from fun into extraction.

Example: "He'd been a gamer his whole life, but something had changed. Mercenary Gaming had taken over: every game wanted his money, his time, his data. Play felt like work, fun felt like manipulation. He missed the days when games were made to be enjoyed, not to extract."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Greedy Gaming

The practice or culture of designing games with maximum profit as the sole objective, at the expense of player experience, artistic integrity, or fair play. Greedy Gaming is mercenary gaming's more honest name: it's gaming driven by greed, pure and simple. It's the reason $70 games still have microtransactions, the reason "ultimate editions" cost $100, the reason you can pay to win. Greedy Gaming has normalized extraction, made exploitation expected. Players have learned to accept that games will try to squeeze them, that "free" means "costs more," that fun is now a product to be purchased in installments.

Example: "He looked at his game library—dozens of games, hundreds of dollars, and still he felt like he owned nothing. Greedy Gaming had made every purchase a rental, every game a service. He wasn't a player; he was a subscriber. The fun was temporary; the extraction was permanent."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026