Prisoner's Dilemma game · free web3 game on Base

Trust them. Or don't.

Dilemma lets you play the Prisoner's Dilemma online against real people. Two players, one secret choice each: Trust or Betray. Lock it in, then reveal. Trust together and you both win. Betray a truster and you win big. Every move is recorded on-chain, so everyone can see your trust rate.

How a round works

1. Commit: pick Trust or Betray. Only a hash of your choice goes on-chain.
2. Reveal: once both players have committed, both reveal their choice.
3. Score: both trust 3/3, both betray 1/1, trust vs betray 0/5.

What is the Prisoner's Dilemma?

The Prisoner's Dilemma is the most famous game in game theory. Two players each choose, in secret, to cooperate or to defect. Everyone is tempted to betray, yet mutual trust pays more.

FAQ

Is Dilemma free to play?

Yes. Dilemma runs on Base Sepolia, a test network. Moves are paid with free test ETH from a faucet, which has no real value.

Do I need real crypto or money?

No. You only need a wallet and a little free Base Sepolia test ETH. There are no payments, no tokens and nothing to buy.

Which wallets work?

MetaMask, Phantom, Coinbase Wallet, Rabby and most other browser wallets. On a phone, open the site in your wallet app's browser.

How does Dilemma stop cheating?

Each player first submits a hash of their choice plus a secret, then reveals it. The smart contract checks the reveal against the hash, so nobody can peek at the other choice or change their own.

What is the best strategy in the Prisoner's Dilemma?

In a single round, betraying always scores at least as much as trusting. Over many rounds, strategies like tit-for-tat (start by trusting, then answer betrayal with betrayal) tend to do well. Here your public trust rate makes your reputation visible to every opponent.