The Evolution Of Trust

The Evolution of Trust is one of the most interesting browser-based trust games currently available. Designed by Boston game designer Nick Case, the game uses mathematics, psychology, and game theory to teach why trust is so easily broken. The game essentially puts players in competition with one another, setting before them simple choices: add a coin or do not. Both players add a coin, and they each get a payoff. If one chooses to lie, one is rewarded while the other is not. This mechanism reveals so much about society and cooperation.

Unlike most games, The Evolution of Trust isn't really about winning—it's about learning. It teaches players why people sometimes do not cooperate even when cooperation is beneficial for all.

Strategies You Will Face

One of the hardest things about The Evolution of Trust is the variety of strategies that you'll be up against:

• Altruists – Give at all times, looking to gain something in return.
• Deceivers – Exploit others by giving nothing.
• Vindictive Players – Retaliate swiftly when betrayed.
• Imitators – Repeat the opponent's moves, with revenge cycles or trust building.
• Mixed Strategies – Individuals who play in apparently unpatterned manners, demonstrating the diversity of human choice.

Repeatedly, through interactions, players learn how trust evolves—or dissolves—on the grounds of patterns of behavior.

Key Factors That Influence Trust

The game demonstrates some key principles:

• Mutual Benefit: Trust only exists if both sides gain.
• Repeated Interactions: Cooperation is optimized when agents interact over and over again.
• Communication Mistakes: Misunderstandings can destroy trust.
• Short-Term vs. Long-Term Options: Deception will win in the short run, but cooperation keeps things working in the long run.

Why Play The Evolution of Trust

This is more than a casual browser game—it's a learning experience in human psychology and strategy. Through trial and error with various strategies, players understand why trust does not exist and why human societies tend to fail at fairness.

• Inspired by Nick Case's award-winning game theory primer.
• Deceptively simple mechanics with deep lessons.
• Several strategies demonstrate the subtlety of trust.

FAQ

Who made it?

Nick Case, a Boston game designer.

Is it gratis?

Yes, gratis to play on https://geoguessr.io/

Am I able to play on mobile?

Yes, though desktop is recommended.

Other Games

• Color Block Jam - The main goal of the game is to place different colored blocks on a grid and fit them together without leaving empty spaces.
• Color Nonogram Puzzle - is a brain-teasing logic game that challenges players to fill in grids based on numerical clues.