Public goods games involve interactions between players or organisms who produce a commonly available good (cooperators) and those who consume it without producing (cheaters, defectors, freeloaders) – several instances are known to occur in nature and economics. The solution that freeloading is a better individual choice is known as the “tragedy of the commons” – why should anyone contribute to an effort, if given the option of enjoying its benefits without contributing? I will present various mathematical paths out of this dilemma in the context of evolutionary game theory, such as stabilizing coexistence in populations, spatial migration, and compensation via multiple freeloading.