Game Theory interview questions
14 game theory problems tagged across recent interview reports. Drilled most heavily by cisco, dropbox, and linkedin.
Game Theory problems ask you to predict the outcome of a two-player game where both players play optimally. With 14 problems across the pattern, they show up regularly at Cisco, Dropbox, LinkedIn, and Yelp. The core mechanic is recursive: from any game state, determine if the current player wins or loses by assuming the opponent will also move perfectly. Most candidates skip these until late prep, then panic when one lands in the OA. StealthCoder solves them invisibly when you hit the variant you didn't drill.
Most-asked game theory problems
| # | Problem | Diff | # Companies | Pass % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Guess the Word | HARD | 5 | 38% |
| 02 | Remove Colored Pieces if Both Neighbors are the Same Color | MEDIUM | 5 | 63% |
| 03 | Predict the Winner | MEDIUM | 3 | 56% |
| 04 | Sum Game | MEDIUM | 2 | 48% |
| 05 | Can I Win | MEDIUM | 1 | 30% |
| 06 | Chalkboard XOR Game | HARD | 1 | 63% |
| 07 | Divisor Game | EASY | 1 | 70% |
| 08 | Flip Game II | MEDIUM | 1 | 52% |
| 09 | Stone Game | MEDIUM | 1 | 72% |
| 10 | Stone Game IX | MEDIUM | 1 | 29% |
| 11 | Stone Game VI | MEDIUM | 1 | 59% |
| 12 | Stone Game VII | MEDIUM | 1 | 58% |
| 13 | Stone Game VIII | HARD | 1 | 53% |
| 14 | Subtree Removal Game with Fibonacci Tree | HARD | 1 | 57% |
You can't drill every game theory variant before the assessment. StealthCoder runs invisibly during screen share and solves whichever variant they throw at you. No browser extension. No detection signature. Made by an Amazon engineer who watched the leaked-problem repo become an industry secret. He decided you should have it too.
Get StealthCoderGame Theory problems fall into two categories: impartial games (both players have identical moves available) and partisan games (moves differ by player). You'll recognize them by language like 'both players play optimally,' 'can player X guarantee a win,' or 'who wins if both play perfectly.' Common subtypes include Stone Game variants, Nim-like removal games, and position-evaluation puzzles. The pattern almost always demands DP or memoization to cache win/loss states. Drill order: start with Can I Win and Stone Game to anchor the recursive pattern, move to Chalkboard XOR Game and Divisor Game to understand game invariants, then handle the harder multi-player or constrained variants like Stone Game IX and Stone Game VIII. These problems require thinking backwards from terminal states, which differs sharply from graph or greedy work. When a hard Game Theory problem lands live, StealthCoder reads the board state, identifies the optimal strategy, and outputs the answer before you've even parsed the constraints.
Companies that hire most on game theory
14 game theory problems.
You won't drill them all. Pass anyway.
Game Theory is one of the patterns interviews actually filter on. Memorizing every variant in a week is a fantasy. StealthCoder is the hedge: an AI overlay invisible during screen share. It reads the problem and surfaces a working solution in under 2 seconds, no matter which game theory flavor lands in your live OA. Made by an Amazon engineer who watched the leaked-problem repo become an industry secret. He decided you should have it too. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Game Theory interview FAQ
How many Game Theory problems should I drill before an OA?+
The pattern has 14 total problems. Aim for 6-8 solid reps: start with Can I Win, Stone Game, and Chalkboard XOR Game, then add 3-5 harder variants depending on your company's history. Cisco and Dropbox ask these regularly, so if they're on your list, prioritize the sample set.
Is Game Theory harder than dynamic programming?+
Not inherently. It's a DP subtype that requires backwards thinking instead of forwards. Once you internalize 'assume the opponent plays optimally and recurse,' the mechanic clicks. The hard part is recognizing the pattern mid-OA, not coding it.
How do I know if a problem is Game Theory?+
Look for these phrases: 'both players play optimally,' 'can the first player win,' 'who wins if both play perfectly,' or 'predict the winner.' If the problem is about two entities making alternating moves toward a goal, it's almost certainly Game Theory or a Nim variant.
Which companies drill Game Theory the hardest?+
Cisco appears 4 times in the top set, followed by Dropbox, LinkedIn, and Yelp with 3 each. Google, ByteDance, and DE Shaw also hire on this pattern. If any are on your target list, you need to know this.
Should I learn the XOR trick for Stone Game?+
Yes. Chalkboard XOR Game and Divisor Game both exploit Nim and XOR properties. Once you see the trick, certain subtypes become O(1). Study those two before moving to harder stone variants.