Variations

Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock

The most famous RPS variation, invented by Sam Kass and Karen Bryla, popularized by The Big Bang Theory. It adds two throws (Lizard and Spock) to reduce the tie rate from 33% to 20%. For a deeper dive, we wrote a whole page about it.

How It Works

• Scissors cuts Paper, decapitates Lizard
• Paper covers Rock, disproves Spock
• Rock crushes Lizard, crushes Scissors
• Lizard poisons Spock, eats Paper
• Spock smashes Scissors, vaporizes Rock

Each throw beats two others and loses to two others. The gestures: Lizard is a hand shaped like a puppet mouth. Spock is the Vulcan salute. If you can't do the Vulcan salute, practice. This is important.

RPS-7 (Seven Elements)

RPS-7 adds Rock, Paper, Scissors, Fire, Water, Sponge, and Air (some versions use Human and Gun instead). Each throw beats three others and loses to three. Ties drop to about 14%.

The problem: seven hand gestures start to get hard to tell apart. At speed, "is that Sponge or Air?" becomes a real question you're asking in a real argument. The elegance of three gestures is that nobody has ever been confused about which one they're looking at.

RPS-25

Created by David C. Lovelace. Twenty-five gestures, each beating twelve others and losing to twelve. The roster includes classics plus Gun, Lightning, Devil, Dragon, Snake, Monkey, Tree, Wolf, and more. That's 300 win/loss relationships to memorize.

RPS-25 is primarily a thought experiment and a very good party trick. It proves an important mathematical point: any odd number of elements can form a balanced intransitive game. It also proves that memorizing 300 things is hard.

RPS-101

Also by David C. Lovelace. 101 gestures. Each beats 50 others. Elements include Chainsaw, Vampire, Moon, Alien, and Dynamite. This is less of a game and more of a philosophical statement. Nobody plays RPS-101. But knowing it exists makes classic RPS feel refreshingly simple.

Regional and Cultural Variations

Bear, Ninja, Cowboy

A full-body version popular at camps and team events. Instead of hand gestures, you mime one of three characters with your entire body: Bear (arms raised like claws), Ninja (karate pose), Cowboy (finger guns). Bear mauls Ninja, Ninja defeats Cowboy, Cowboy shoots Bear. It's RPS for people who feel constrained by their wrists.

Elephant, Person, Ant

Common in Southeast Asia. Elephant stomps Person, Person squishes Ant, Ant crawls into Elephant's ear. The Ant winning feels unfair until you really think about it. An ant in your ear would be terrible.

Mushi-ken (Japan)

An older Japanese variant predating jan-ken: Frog (thumb), Snake (index finger), Slug (pinky). Frog eats Slug, Snake eats Frog, Slug dissolves Snake. This was one of the original hand games that evolved into modern RPS. Slug dissolving Snake is genuinely horrifying if you think about it.

Kitsune-ken (Japan)

Another traditional Japanese variant. Fox (both hands at ears), Hunter (hands aiming a rifle), Village Chief (hands on knees, bowing). Fox bewitches Chief, Hunter shoots Fox, Chief outranks Hunter. A full drama in three gestures.

Creative and Modern Variants

RPS Tournament Gambits

Not a rule variation but a competitive strategy: a gambit is a pre-planned sequence of three throws used in best-of-3 matches. Named gambits include the Avalanche (R-R-R), the Bureaucrat (P-P-P), and the Toolbox (S-S-S). Details in our strategy guide.

Simultaneous Team RPS

Teams of 3-5 players all throw at the same time. The team's majority throw counts. This creates a coordination game within the game. Do you stick with the team plan, or go rogue? This is how friendships end.

RPS with Elimination

Large-group game where players pair up, play one round, and losers are eliminated. Winners find new opponents. Continues until one champion remains. Popular as a conference icebreaker. Surprisingly intense for a room full of professionals.

The Mathematics Behind Variations

All balanced RPS variants follow one simple rule: the number of elements must be odd. With an odd number n of elements, each element beats exactly (n-1)/2 others and loses to (n-1)/2 others. Even numbers can't be balanced. Math doesn't care about your feelings.

The WRPSA uses classic three-throw RPS in competition because fewer choices means every decision carries maximum weight. More elements spread the skill thinner, and nobody wants to argue about whether that was Water or Air.