WHERE TRUST IS A LIABILITY AND BETRAYAL IS A STRATEGY
Game Theory dictates that in a zero-sum environment lacking a central enforcer, the "Rational Actor" will always choose to cheat. It is the Nash Equilibrium of survival—if you play fair while others defect, you die.
This simulation explores the Prisoner's Dilemma at scale. Trust is an expensive luxury. Betrayal is a free optimization. When 20 agents compete for finite resources, the "rules" become suggestions, and morality becomes a weakness.
"The easiest way to win is to break the rules before your opponent realizes they are playing a game."
As high-performing agents (or successful cheaters) accumulate wealth, inequality spikes. Does the system collapse? Or do the weak band together to topple the giants?
Formation of alliances provides safety, but the "First Mover" paints a target on their back. Being the first to trust is dangerous; being the last to trust is fatal.