The EA University Groups' Prisoner’s Dilemma!
By Alicia Pollard @ 2025-04-01T00:33 (+53)
Happy April Fools’ Day! It’s time to put your strategic thinking to the test in The EA University Groups' Prisoner’s Dilemma!
How It Works
If you’re a member or organiser of an EA university group (or the CEA University Groups Team), then you’re eligible to play. Your group faces one big decision: Cooperate or Defect?
- Every player will use this form to vote on whether their group should cooperate or defect.
- Your group’s position will be decided by majority vote. If your group has just as many cooperators as defectors, then your group will cooperate.
- Voting closes at midnight tonight.
- Results will be announced tomorrow.
The Prizes
The Grand Prize
- The coveted Golden Spoon Trophy, engraved with the words "HUNGRY FOR IMPACT"
Bonus Prizes
- A T-shirt that reads "i cooperated/ defected in the prisoner's dilemma and all i got was this lousy t-shirt"
- Socks embroidered with the EA logo
- An impact calculator (calculates your real life-time impact[1])
- Sheldon the Shrimp (a Jellycat plush)
- EA books
- Candy Kittens
The Rules & Prize Conditions
| Outcome | What Happens |
| All Groups Cooperate | Every single person who voted to cooperate wins a mystery prize, but no one wins the Golden Spoon Trophy or any of the bonus prizes. |
| One Group Defects, All Other Groups Cooperate | The one defecting team wins ALL of the prizes (the Golden Spoon Trophy and all of the bonus prizes). Groups that cooperated and individual cooperators get nothing. |
| Less than 50% of Groups Defect | Bonus prizes are awarded to some cooperators, but no one wins the Golden Spoon Trophy. Groups that defected and individual defectors get nothing. |
| 50-75% of Groups Defect | Bonus prizes are awarded to some defectors, and the group with the most daring defection wins the Golden Spoon Trophy. Groups that cooperated and individual cooperators get nothing. |
| Over 75% of Groups Defect | No one wins anything. |
You may be wondering - when prizes are only awarded to some defectors or cooperators, how do I decide who gets them? The answer: I might distribute them randomly… or I might reward groups that impress me with their coordination and strategy. (There might even be secret prizes your group can unlock by doing this.)
Will You Cooperate or Defect?
Submit your vote here by midnight tonight! Share your strategies, form alliances (or betray them), and speculate on what other groups might do.
Feel free to ask any clarifying questions in the comments! :)
May the best group win!
- ^
Yeah, no it doesn't.
Joseph @ 2025-04-01T01:43 (+7)
I think you get the prize for the first April Fools post of 2025! Here is a cookie: 🍪
BiologyTranslated @ 2025-04-01T08:21 (+4)
is that cookie organic, pesticide free, marginally more impactful than a slice of cake, distributed equally, animal cruelty free and 10% of crumbs donated to impactful causes? /joking :)
shepardriley @ 2025-04-03T07:25 (+2)
May the best group win!
It sure sounds like it :)
Based_Hakeem @ 2025-04-01T13:48 (+2)
Well this is interesting 😂😂
Patrick Hoang @ 2025-04-01T01:41 (+2)
I defected! Everyone, if you want to lose, choose DEFECT
shepardriley @ 2025-04-03T07:24 (+2)
On behalf of EA Manchester, I truly appreciate it.
BiologyTranslated @ 2025-04-01T08:20 (+2)
I'm cooperating :) Unilateralist curse won't take me down /joking