OUR GAME THEORY PODCAST
In Game Changer, the podcast by TWS Partners, we want to share our enthusiasm and passion for game theory and its applications. Guests from industry and academia discuss the power of game theory in their profession and how they use it to make a difference. Along the way we strive to offer fun anecdotes, useful facts and valuable insights. Hear us out and find out that game theory is much more than a topic for ivory tower discussions.
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: THE GAME THEORY BEHIND COUNTERINTUITIVE ALLIANCES | WITH DAVID PINSOF

In this episode, we talk to David Pinsof about the surprising ways people form their beliefs and build alliances. Drawing on his survey with Cards Against Humanity, he shares how people often hold contradictory views and what this reveals about group coordination. We also dive into his game-theoretic model of coalition-building, explore how humor functions as a coordination tool, and discuss the deeper logic behind seemingly irrational behavior.
David Pinsof is a behavioral scientist whose work combines evolutionary psychology and game theory, to understand belief formation and social dynamics. He is also one of the co-creators of “Cards against Humanity”, the author of the blog Everything Is Bullshit and recently launched the podcast – Evolutionary Psychology (The Podcast) – in which he explores cutting-edge work in the evolutionary behavioral sciences.
You can find the paper „Strange Bedfellows” David mentioned in the episode here.

MAN VS. MODEL – GAME THEORETIC INSIGHTS ON AI IN AUCTIONS | WITH VITALI GRETSCHKO

In this episode we are talking to Vitali Gretschko about how generative AI can be used to simulate strategic behaviour in auctions. We explore where AI tools can support auction design, where they fall short, and how practitioners should interpret simulation results. Vitali also explains why AI is best seen as a co-intelligence that needs expert guidance.
Vitali Gretschko is Professor for sustainable Market Design at the University of Münster. His research focuses on auction theory, market design, and applying game theory to practical strategic problems.

PUNISHMENT OR PETTINESS? THE GAME THEORY BEHIND SPITE | WITH RORY SMEAD

In this episode, our guest Rory Smead shares insights on spite and what game theory can teach us about this puzzling behaviour. He explains why people sometimes punish others even at a cost to themselves, and whether this can be understood through more than just fairness. Using the ultimatum game as a central example, he discusses how spite can influence decision-making and what this reveals about both human and animal behaviour.
Rory Smead is Professor of Philosophy and the Ronald L. and Linda A. Rossetti Professor for the Humanities at Northeastern University. His research focuses on philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, logic, and game theory, with a particular interest in understanding social behaviour through formal models.

WHEN BONUSES BACKFIRE: RETHINKING ATTENDANCE INCENTIVES | WITH TIMO VOGELSANG

In this episode we are talking to Timo Vogelsang about why incentives aimed at reducing absenteeism can sometimes have the opposite effect. Based on a Field Experiment in a German supermarket chain, he explains why offering bonuses for attendance backfired. We also explore how incentives can unintentionally shape beliefs and undermine motivation.
Timo Vogelsang is Associate Professor of Managerial Accounting at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. His research focuses on behavioural economics and public policy, with a particular interest in how incentives shape motivation and behaviour in real-world settings.
You can find the paper Timo talks about in the episode here.

TOO SURE FOR OUR OWN GOOD? THE HIDDEN COST OF OVERCONFIDENCE | WITH PHILIPP STRACK

In this episode, we sit down with Philipp Strack to explore the hidden consequences of overconfidence. From distorted learning to discrimination and systemic bias, Philipp explains to us how overestimating ourselves can quietly shape our decisions, relationships, and even society — and why it’s not always a bad thing.
Philipp Strack is a professor of Economics at Yale University with a secondary appointment as Professor of Computer Science. His research focus lies in decision-making and behavioral economics in dynamic contexts as well as in concepts like information cost and privacy, among others.

THE MARRIAGE PENALTY – HOW THE CHURCH REWIRED COOPERATION NETWORKS | WITH JONATHAN SCHULZ

In this episode we explore how historical kinship structures, shaped in part by decisions of the Catholic Church, may have fundamentally changed the way humans are able to cooperate on a large scale.
Using game theoretic concepts like reciprocity and network structure, we uncover how bans on cousin marriages and even modern Facebook data can help explain patterns of trust and cooperation today.
Jonathan Schulz is Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at George Mason University and Co-Principal Investigator of the interdisciplinary Historical Psychology Project. His research focuses on the historical and psychological roots of economic development, with a particular interest in how social networks and kinship structures influence cooperation.

WHY CLIMATE AGREEMENTS FAIL: AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION BASED ON MECHANISM DESIGN | WITH KLAUS M. SCHMIDT

In this episode together with our guest Klaus M. Schmidt, we explore the economic challenges behind global climate agreements. We discuss why past agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement struggled to deliver the desired results and examine how a new negotiation design centered on a uniform CO₂ price could lead to better outcomes. Klaus also shares insights from experimental studies testing this approach in practice.
Klaus M. Schmidt is an economics professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and an expert in social preferences and contract theory, among others.

GLOBALIZATION AND PROTECTIONISM – A GAME THEORETIC VIEW | WITH CLAUDIA STEINWENDER

In this episode, we explore how globalization has shaped trade and innovation—and why rising protectionism is challenging its benefits. What happens when countries impose tariffs and trade restrictions? And how can policymakers navigate the balance between open markets and domestic interests?
Claudia Steinwender is a Professor of Economics at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Her research focuses on international trade, innovation, and economic history, with a particular emphasis on how globalization shapes firm behavior and trade dynamics.

HOW TO ACHIEVE COOPERATION: LEARNINGS FROM FIELDWORK WITH THE TURKANA PEOPLE | WITH SARAH MATHEW

In this episode we are speaking with Sarah Mathew about cooperation – especially how cooperation is achieved in the absence of institutions. Sarah gives some theoretical background, shares the concept of free rider problems and the relationship to punishment. She then illustrates the background based on her fieldwork: She has studied how the Turkana people achieve cooperation when going on raids with possibly even deadly consequences for individual warriors.
Sarah Mathew is Associate Professor at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. Her research is focused on studying why humans cooperate and how the evolution of this unique form of cooperation is tied to the origins of moral sentiments, cultural norms, and warfare. To address these issues, she combines formal modelling of the evolution of cooperation with fieldwork.

THE TRUTH ABOUT MISINFORMATION: MYTHS, REALITY, AND RATIONAL BELIEFS | WITH DANIEL WILLIAMS

In this episode we are speaking with philosopher Daniel Williams about misinformation—what it is, how it spreads, and whether it is truly on the rise in the form of “fake news”. We also explore why people cling to irrational beliefs and how rationalization shapes public discourse. Finally, Daniel shares strategies for tackling misinformation and engaging with those who hold questionable beliefs.
Daniel Williams is a philosopher and researcher at the University of Sussex. His research is focused on the social functions and causes of beliefs with a special interest in self-deception, religious beliefs, political ideologies, and delusions. In his blog conspicuous cognition https://www.conspicuouscognition.com/ Dan publishes interesting essays on various topics.
