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What makes something a game?
In everyday speech a game means chess, poker, football — a thing with rules and a winner. In game theory the meaning is sharper, and a bit stranger.
Strategic interdependence
A situation is a game when your best move depends on what someone else chooses, and their best move depends on what you choose — what we call .
The crossword on your kitchen table isn't a game — you're alone with the puzzle. Driving home is barely a game — most other drivers won't change their plan because of you. But two firms pricing a product, two friends choosing where to meet, two countries deciding whether to escalate — those are games.