Sigma Game: The Complete Socio-Sexual Hierarchy by Vox Day

Review by Perrin Lovett

Hierarchies are inherent. Orcas are apex predators because they are, not because anyone labeled them as such. Likewise, a suckermouth catfish is a bottom feeder because of the way it eats, rather than how anyone perceives or captions it or its diet. The same goes for where various men fall into the grades of the socio-sexual hierarchy, based on attractiveness, behavior, and societal reception. While we may have some traits from multiple tiers, all men fall into one primary category. Understanding this fact, as it pertains to oneself and to society at large, is critical for better navigating through the myriad phases of life. Vox Day has written a masterful guide that exposes the simplicities and intricacies of human socio-sexual relationships.

(© Castalia)

Day, Vox, Sigma Game: The Complete Socio-Sexual Hierarchy, Switzerland: Castalia, 2026 (Kindle Ed.).

Years ago, Vox Day, the original internet superintelligence, broke down the ranks of men in society, adding a clear and comprehensive taxonomy to what had been a murky and frequently misunderstood concept. Since then, the classifications have still been misused, intentionally and inadvertently. Today, there is no excuse for not understanding who is who. Sigma Game is available from Amazon.

Upfront, on page 8, Day gives helpful advice for male readers: whoever you are, it’s not about you. 

Seriously, if you find yourself thinking “yeah, but what am I?” then you are not in the right frame of mind to get the most out of what this book can provide you. Just set yourself aside for the duration. You’ll still be you when you finish. As with most things, you’ve got to learn the material before you can successfully apply it.

The ranks are, see pages 14-15: Alphas, the natural leaders; Bravos, Alpha loyalists; Deltas, ordinary average men; Gammas, the annoyingly dishonest; Sigmas, lone wolves, and; Omegas, the isolated rejects. Lambdas, homosexual men, are not discussed in Day’s book as their proclivities are outside the human ordinary. 

Sigma Game, well thought out and edited, is largely arranged in chapters that either define the categories or explain them. Vexatious Gammas receive treatment in four consecutive chapters, more than any other group. Gammas receive so much attention because they have the ability to wreak so much havoc if left unchecked. Day devotes an entire chapter, Chapter Twelve, to “Dealing With Gammas.” “[T]he good news is that Gammas are, once you know what to look for, remarkably easy to identify, because their behavioral tells are consistent, predictable, and difficult for them to suppress even when they are aware of them.” (See page 242.) “Mealy-mouthed vocabulary is a specific and identifiable rhetorical pattern.” (See page 243.) Day goes much deeper into the art of Gamma spotting. And he provides advice for organizations, women, parents, and even Gammas themselves about how to deal with and avoid the irksomeness of the deluded and the dishonest.

Within and without the world of the Gamma, Day provides excellent examples for each category. Being that he is a reader, many of Day’s representatives come from literature. Paris, Prince of Troy, is the archetypal Gamma. (See page 191.) Paris’s brother, Hector, is the ideal Alpha. “[I]t is Hector who most vividly illustrates the Alpha’s burden in its purest form.” (Page 55.) “Perhaps no character in modern literature better exemplifies the Bravo than Samwise Gamgee from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.” (Page 99.) 

The title classification, the Sigma, has become a bit of a celebrity in postmodern popular culture. Many men, young and old, and particularly Gammas, have erroneously styled themselves as Sigmas. But this is the rarest type, one Day had to neologize due to its anomalous nature. Achilles is the Sigma of Homer’s Iliad. (See page 278.) Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen are dedicated to the Sigma. With examples, Day defines what the designation means, what a Sigma is: “The Sigma is the outsider who doesn’t play the social game and manages to win at it anyhow.” (See page 304.) And what he is not: “[I]f you cannot stand up to the entire weight of the social consensus and confidently tell it, “No, you move”—then you should never, ever, attempt to convince anyone that you are a Sigma.” (Page 303.) 

Sigma Game provides helpful information for understanding, working with, and working around the assorted classifications, with examples from various settings. Day also delves into issues regarding women, see Appendix A, and midwits, see Appendix B. Written by a Sigma and a man with a UHIQ, Sigma Game is relatable enough and well-reasoned enough to satisfy anyone’s curiosity. It is a resource that will help everyone. For all these reasons, I highly recommend adding it to one’s library.