Evolutionary and social functions of gaming: Integrating experimental evidence and mathematical modeling

Abstract

This research examines the evolutionary and social functions of gaming by proposing that rule-bounded competitive play could operate as a strategy for forming and sustaining long-term alliances. To investigate this hypothesis, we conducted two complementary studies. Study 1 tested whether engaging in a game, compared with a non-game interaction (role playing), influences how same-sex strangers perceive each other's value and relational closeness across repeated encounters. Although both constructs changed over time, gaming did not produce stronger or faster shifts than the comparison activity. Study 2 used an agent-based evolutionary model to explore the conditions under which gaming could spread in a population as a tactic for ally selection. The simulations indicated that gaming is favored when players possess above-average skill and when environmental risk coevolves with population skill; otherwise, gaming tends to drift or disappear. Together, these studies suggest that the social effects of gaming are context-dependent and may not emerge uniformly across game types or interaction settings. The modeling results highlight that risk, skill, and reliability of performance cues are key parameters for understanding the potential evolutionary role of gaming in alliance formation. Future work should integrate long-term interactions, participants' skill levels, and different game ecologies to clarify under what circumstances gaming strengthens social bonds.