Advances in Contest Theory: Strategic Foundations and Mechanism Design
A special issue of Games (ISSN 2073-4336).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 17
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Contests serve as a central paradigm in economic theory regarding the modelling of strategic interactions over valuable resources, effort-based rewards, or influence. From all-pay auctions and political competition to tournaments in organizations and innovation prizes, contests offer powerful frameworks for analyzing competitive environments where agents expend costly effort to increase their chances of winning. In recent decades, contest theory has provided deep insights into the design and outcomes of such mechanisms under various assumptions related to information, heterogeneity, timing, and institutional constraints.
This Special Issue aims to highlight state-of-the-art theoretical research in contest theory and mechanism design. We welcome papers that develop new models, extend existing frameworks, or explore novel applications within the theoretical domain. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, optimal prize allocation, endogenous entry, asymmetric ability or cost structures, multi-stage contests, contests with incomplete or asymmetric information, stochastic or dynamic environments, and contest design under budget or policy constraints. We also welcome theoretical studies that explore the connections between contests and broader areas in mechanism design, auction theory, or industrial organization.
While this Special Issue focuses on theoretical contributions, we particularly encourage submissions that offer conceptual clarity, tractable modelling approaches, and potential relevance for applied researchers and policymakers. Our aim is to consolidate and showcase recent advances in contest theory, stimulate new lines of inquiry, and support the development of more robust and versatile contest-based mechanisms for both academic and practical purposes.
This Special Issue will serve as a resource for scholars working in economic theory, political economy, organizational economics, and related fields. It will also be of interest to those exploring the strategic foundations of incentive systems in real-world applications.
Dr. Jun Zhang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Games is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- contest theory
- all-pay auctions
- rent-seeking models
- tournaments
- prize optimization
- asymmetric contests
- entry and participation decisions
- information structures
- dynamic and stochastic contests
- multi-stage competition
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