The Stag Hunt Sport is a traditional recreation principle mannequin that demonstrates the stress between particular person and collective incentives. Within the recreation, a bunch of hunters should resolve whether or not to hunt a stag (a big deer) or a hare (a smaller, quicker animal). The stag is a extra useful goal, however it is usually tougher to catch. If all of the hunters cooperate and hunt the stag, they may doubtless succeed. Nonetheless, if even one hunter decides to hunt the hare as a substitute, the group will fail to catch the stag.
The Stag Hunt Sport has been used for example a wide range of ideas in recreation principle, together with the significance of cooperation, the issue of free driving, and the position of communication. It has additionally been used to mannequin real-world conditions, similar to the choice of whether or not to spend money on a public good or to defect to a personal good.