Seeking to conduct an inventory of the arguments used by game theory proponents, the article assesses both this theory and a set of theoretical principles that extend the scope from rational choice to interdependent decision-making and a type of formal methodology. The article identifies some key qualities, like the theory´s emphasis on actors and strategic choices and its ability to generate logically rigorous and internally consistent predictions. But it also discusses many of the theory´s shortcomings. Therefore, the challenge faced by scholars of comparative politics is to consider the new perspectives offered by game theory and to make use of its qualities, without losing sight of a series of relevant longstanding issues from the social sciences that this approach is not prepared to solve.