Abstract: In the process of deep-buried coal seam mining, underground water inrush disasters are closely related to the distribution patterns and development degree of faults. However, the quantitative relationship and internal mechanisms between them are still scientific problems that urgently need to be solved in the field of mine water disaster prevention and control. Considering the combined relationships among the evaluation indeces of fault complexity, a quantitative evaluation model of fault complexity in coal-bearing strata is constructed by combining game theory, variable weight theory, and the cloud model. Fault density, fault fractal dimension, densities of fault pinch-out points and intersection points, and the fault strength index are selected as the main controlling factors of fault complexity, and contour maps of the spatial distribution of each factor are obtained. The model divides the fault complexity in study area into simple, relatively simple, medium, relatively complex, and complex zones, with respective proportions of 2.3%, 20.7%, 38.0%, 32.5%, and 6.5%. The fault complexity index (FCI) is significantly negatively correlated with the core recovery ratio (CRR) (R² = 0.7594 ), which verifies the accuracy of the model. The result also reveal that both the locations of mine water inrush points and the intensity of water inrush are significantly positively correlated with the complexity of fault structures. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for mine water disaster prevention and control in areas with well-developed fault structures.