Caveat Academy course · Grades 8 to 12

Game Theory for Beginners

The mathematics of strategy, with only arithmetic and a little algebra: how to set up a game and read a payoff matrix, dominant strategies and Nash equilibrium, the prisoner's dilemma and how cooperation survives, mixed strategies in penalty kicks and rock, paper, scissors, backward induction and credible threats, and how auctions, votes and fair splits really work. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Passion projects kit, $39 for 34 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: What makes a game

    Describe a strategic situation as a game with players, strategies, payoffs and information, and read payoff matrices and best responses.

    • Strategic situations
    • Reading a payoff matrix
    • Rationality and common knowledge
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Dominance and equilibrium

    Find dominant strategies, apply iterated elimination and identify Nash equilibria, including games with several equilibria.

    • Dominant strategies
    • Nash equilibrium
    • Coordination and multiple equilibria
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: The prisoner's dilemma and cooperation

    Analyze prisoner's dilemmas and explain how repetition, institutions and changed payoffs can sustain cooperation.

    • The prisoner's dilemma
    • Repeated games and tit-for-tat
    • Dilemmas in the real world
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Zero-sum games and mixed strategies

    Compute maximin, minimax, expected payoffs and simple mixed-strategy equilibria from the indifference condition.

    • Zero-sum games
    • Why randomizing can be smart
    • Computing a mixed equilibrium
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Sequential games

    Solve game trees by backward induction, evaluate whether threats are credible, and compare predictions with experimental results.

    • Game trees and backward induction
    • Threats, promises and commitment
    • The ultimatum game and real behavior
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Game theory at work

    Evaluate auction formats, voting rules, fair-division procedures and signals, and design changes that make cooperation pay.

    • Auctions
    • Voting and fair division
    • Signals, reputation and playing well
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 5 · Game trees and backward induction

Worked example: the entry game

  1. A new coffee shop decides whether to enter a town where one shop already operates. If it stays out, payoffs are 0 for the newcomer and 10 for the existing shop.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Enrichment · Passion Projects$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in beginning game theory: you can turn a real situation into a game, read a payoff matrix and find best responses, use dominance and spot Nash equilibria, explain the prisoner's dilemma and the tools that sustain cooperation, compute expected payoffs and a simple mixed equilibrium, solve a game tree and tell credible threats from empty ones, and explain how auction formats, voting rules and fair-division methods shape outcomes. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 8 to 12 who like puzzles, strategy games, economics, debate or computer science, students preparing for an economics or statistics class, and homeschool families who want a complete enrichment unit. The math is arithmetic, probability as fractions and decimals, and one-step algebra.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Passion projects kit ($39) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Game Theory: plato.stanford.edu
  2. The Nobel Prize, Prize in Economic Sciences 1994 (Harsanyi, Nash, Selten), 2009 (Ostrom) and 2020 (Milgrom, Wilson) summaries: nobelprize.org
  3. Robert Axelrod, The Evolution of Cooperation, 1984, on the repeated prisoner's dilemma tournaments
  4. Thomas Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 1960, on focal points and commitment
  5. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Prisoner's Dilemma: plato.stanford.edu

Game Theory for Beginners is a self-paced enrichment course from Caveat Academic Services. It does not replace a school course and awards no credit. Payoff numbers in the examples are made up for teaching and labeled as examples; experimental findings are described as typical results, which vary by study. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.