Game Theory Analysis of SAW

Kylejun P.
Martinez EM6
11910445 Dec. 04, 2019
Let’s Play a Game

Horror Movie Analysis
Synopsis:
The horror movie that I chose to analyze is SAW V. The SAW franchise is a series
of films that revolves around the Jigsaw killers. Instead of killing their victims outright,
the killers devise a series of games/trials/situations where they force the victims to
make life or death decisions. All the games in the movie test the victims will to survive
despite being tortured both physically and psychologically. SAW V is the fifth film in the
series and takes place in an underground facility with 4 rooms. The 5 victims must solve
the deadly trials in each room for a given time or else the rooms explode, and they die.
Objective:
To analyze if the decisions of the victims are the right decisions based on the
mathematical concept of Maximin Solution and Nash Equilibrium.
The Game:
The game that I will be analyzing is the 4th trial of the movie. I chose this game
because there were 2 remaining victims at that point in the movie and the ideal number
of players for maximin solution and Nash equilibrium is two players. The name of the
4th trial is 10 pints of sacrifice. In this game, Victim A and Victim B find themselves trap
in a room rigged to explode. For them to escape, they must fill a jar with 10 pints of
blood by sawing their arm in half and letting the blood flow. The problem is, a person
can only give 10 pints of blood then die because of blood loss. The options of the
victims are: Victim A gives 10 pints and die while Victim B gives none and live, Victim B
gives 10 pints and die while Victim A gives none and live, both Victim A and Victim B
give 5 pints each and barely survive, and both Victim A and Victim B do nothing and die
by explosion. In the movie, Victim A and B decided to both give blood and in the end
they both survived. Is this the best decision based on maximin solution and Nash
equilibrium?
Normal Form of the Game
Victim B
Give blood Do nothing
Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, -0)
Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)

Maximin Solution
This solution involves choosing the strategy that gives you the maximum among your
worst payoffs.
1. For Victim A, the row player, the possible payoffs if he/she gives blood are -5 & -
10 and the worst payoff is -10. If he/she does nothing, then the possible payoffs
are 0 & -10 and the worst payoff is -10. Since the worst payoffs are -10 then the
best payoff among the worst is -10.
Victim B
Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, 0) - 10
Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10) - 10
2. For Victim B, the column player, the possible payoffs if he/she gives blood are -5
& -10 and the worst payoff is -10. If he/she does nothing, then the possible
payoffs are 0 & -10 and the worst payoff is -10. Since the worst payoffs is -10
then the best payoff among the worst is -10.
Victim B
Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, 0)
Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)
- 10 - 10
3. Since for both victims the maximin payoff is -10, then the maximin solution
payoff pair is (-10,-10) which means that the maximin strategy is for both victims
is to do nothing and die.
Victim B
Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)
Nash Equilibrium
The Nash Equilibrium is a strategy for each player such that every players’ action is
the best response to the other players’ actions.
1. For Victim A, the row player, the best payoff if Victim B chooses to give blood is 0.
On the other hand, if Victim B chooses to do nothing then the best payoff is -10.
Victim B
Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)

2. For Victim B, the column player, the best payoff if Victim A chooses to give blood
is 0. On the other hand, if Victim A chooses to do nothing then the best payoff is
-10.
Victim B
Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)
3. Since the highlighted payoff ordered pairs are (-10, 0), (0, -10), and (-10, -10)
then there is no Nash equilibrium solution because there are more than one
highlighted ordered pairs.
Victim B
Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)
Conclusion
Based on the computation, the maximin solution is (-10, -10) which means that
both victims should do nothing and die. On the other hand, there is no Nash Equilibrium
because there are multiple possible solutions. In conclusion, the victims in the movie did
not choose the best decision based on the results of the maximin strategy and the Nash
equilibrium. However, realistically speaking, the victims in the movie chose the best
solution since they both survive by working together and giving 5 pints of blood each. In
this analysis, I learned that the maximin strategy is not a good method of determining
the best decision when it comes to life and death situations because the worst payoffs
always lead to death. I also learned that Nash equilibrium does not always work in some
situations and that the logical answer based on math is not always the right answer.

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Kylejun P.

Let’s Play a Game

Normal Form of the Game

Give blood Do nothing

Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, -0)

Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)

Give blood Do nothing

Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, 0) - 10

Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10) - 10

Give blood Do nothing

Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, 0)

Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)

Give blood Do nothing

Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, 0)

Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)

Give blood Do nothing

Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, 0)

Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)

Give blood Do nothing

Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, 0)

Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)

Give blood Do nothing

Victim A Give blood (-5, -5) (-10, 0)

Do nothing (0, -10) (-10, -10)

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