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We are often asked for the best textbook on game theory. The answer is that there does not exist the perfect solution. Some textbooks are more introductory, others more mathematical, others more applied. Some focus on non-cooperative game theory, others on cooperative game theory, some on both.

Since the book that started it all “The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior” from 1944 by J v Neumann and O Morgenstern, a non-exhaustive list of excellent game theory textbooks includes:

• K Binmore. Fun and Games: A Text on Game Theory, 1992.
• A Diekmann. Spieltheorie: Einführung, Beispiele, Experimente, 2009. (in German)
• SR Chakravarty, M Mitra and P Sarkar. A Course on Cooperative Game Theory, 2015.
• D Fudenberg and J Tirole. Game Theory, 1991.
• R Gibbons. A primer in Game Theory, 1992.
• RD Luce and H Raiffa. Games and decisions, 1957.
• A Mas-Colell, M Whinston and J Green. Microeconomic Theory, 1995.
• MJ Osborne. An Introduction to Game Theory, 2004.
• MJ Osborne and A Rubinstein. A Course in Game Theory, 1994.
• JW Weibull. Evolutionary game theory, 1997.

This list is non-exhaustive. Please contact us with more suggestions.

Currently, our personal favorites (with links) are:

• Cooperative: R Serrano, Cooperative Games: Core and Shapley Value, 2007.
• Non-cooperative: B v Stengel, Game Theory Basics, 2021.