For a single player game, that might be a good explanation.

For a multiplayer game, though, it's not hard at all to see what's happening. If a cheater cheats and gets away with it, then they rationally should expect to receive social reputational credit, which I want to believe is something that instinctively makes most of us feel good, us being social creatures.

Makes sense! Thanks for the necessary addition.

I should have mentioned the social aspect of the winning.

Interestingly, I didn't even think about the single player game...