The best-known Rock Paper Scissors variation is Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock, which adds two throws so ties happen less often. Beyond that there are bigger numbered versions (RPS-7, RPS-15, RPS-25 and the 101-gesture RPS-101), full-body versions like Bear, Hunter, Ninja, and regional games such as Korea's muk-jji-ppa. Below I give the rules for each one and say which suit which crowd.
One thing to clear up first: no variation is "official". The standard three-throw game has common tournament conventions, which I cover on our rules page, but nobody governs the variants. Each one is a house rule that got popular, and most were designed by one person.
Why variations exist
In the classic game there is a 1 in 3 chance of a tie on every throw. Adding throws lowers that chance. With five throws it is 1 in 5; with fifteen it is 1 in 15. The trick is keeping the game fair: every throw has to beat exactly as many throws as it loses to. That only works with an odd number of throws, which is why every serious variant has 3, 5, 7, 9, 15, 25 or 101 of them.
| Variant | Throws | Each throw beats | Chance of a tie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | 3 | 1 | 1 in 3 |
| Lizard Spock | 5 | 2 | 1 in 5 |
| RPS-7 | 7 | 3 | 1 in 7 |
| RPS-15 | 15 | 7 | 1 in 15 |
| RPS-25 | 25 | 12 | 1 in 25 |
| RPS-101 | 101 | 50 | 1 in 101 |
The tie odds assume both players pick at random. Real people don't, so real tie rates differ a little.
Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock (5 throws)
Created by Sam Kass with Karen Bryla and made famous by The Big Bang Theory in 2008. Kass's stated reason was that people who know each other well tie far too often in the three-throw game. The two new throws are Lizard (a hand shaped like a sock-puppet mouth) and Spock (the Vulcan salute).
| Throw | Beats |
|---|---|
| Scissors | Paper (cuts), Lizard (decapitates) |
| Paper | Rock (covers), Spock (disproves) |
| Rock | Lizard (crushes), Scissors (crushes) |
| Lizard | Spock (poisons), Paper (eats) |
| Spock | Scissors (smashes), Rock (vaporizes) |
Full walkthrough and a printable chart: Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock. The origin story is its own post: the history of Lizard Spock.
Best for: groups who already know the classic game and want one step up. Most people learn it in two rounds.
The David Lovelace series: RPS-7, RPS-15, RPS-25, RPS-101
David C. Lovelace published a family of larger variants on his site umop.com, starting with a seven-throw version and working up. RPS-15 and RPS-25 date from the mid-2000s; RPS-101 is the largest, with 101 gestures and 5,050 possible pairings.
RPS-15
The fifteen throws, in the circle order Lovelace uses: Rock, Fire, Scissors, Snake, Human, Tree, Wolf, Sponge, Paper, Air, Water, Dragon, Devil, Lightning, Gun.
The rule of thumb is that each throw beats the seven that follow it around the circle. A few examples straight from his chart:
| Throw | Beats |
|---|---|
| Rock | Fire, Scissors, Snake, Human, Tree, Wolf, Sponge |
| Paper | Air, Water, Dragon, Devil, Lightning, Gun, Rock |
| Water | Dragon, Devil, Lightning, Gun, Rock, Fire, Scissors |
| Gun | Rock, Fire, Scissors, Snake, Human, Tree, Wolf |
Print the circle and keep it on the table. Nobody memorizes it on the first night, and that is part of the fun: the arguing over whether Sponge really beats Paper is half the game.
RPS-25 and RPS-101
RPS-25 keeps the same circle logic with 25 gestures, each beating 12. RPS-101 goes to 101 gestures, each beating 50, and Lovelace wrote a short line explaining every single matchup. It is more a reference work than a party game. I'd use it for a classroom exercise on combinatorics, not for deciding who does the dishes.
Best for: RPS-15 works at a game night with a printed chart. RPS-25 and RPS-101 are for curiosity.
Bear, Hunter, Ninja (full-body)
A standing version where players turn back to back, count down, then spin around in a pose. Bear (arms up, claws out) beats Ninja, Ninja (a karate stance) beats Hunter, Hunter (aiming a rifle) beats Bear. It is the same three-way cycle as the classic game, just played with the whole body, which makes it good for large groups and kids who need to move.
Best for: camps, classrooms, warm-ups, and teams of ten or more split into two lines.
Muk-jji-ppa (Korea)
This one changes the structure, not the number of throws. Start with an ordinary round (in Korean, gawi-bawi-bo). The winner becomes the attacker. Both players then keep throwing in rhythm while the attacker calls out a throw: muk (rock), jji (scissors) or ppa (paper). If the defender shows the same throw as the attacker, the attacker wins the game. If the throws differ, whoever would win that exchange becomes the new attacker and play continues.
It is fast, loud and genuinely harder than it sounds, because you have to call and throw at the same time. More on regional games in Rock Paper Scissors around the world.
Best for: two players who want a longer duel instead of a single throw.
Ant, Person, Elephant (Indonesia)
Called suit or suten, played with fingers instead of fists. Elephant is the thumb, person is the index finger, ant is the little finger. Elephant tramples person, person steps on ant, ant crawls into the elephant's ear. Mechanically identical to the classic game, which makes it an easy one to teach.
House rules that work with any version
These are not named variants, just tweaks I've seen work at tables:
- Best of five instead of best of three. Longer matches reward reading your opponent over luck. See strategy for why.
- No repeat throws. You may not play the same throw twice in a row. This makes play more predictable and gives thoughtful players an edge.
- Called throw. One player announces their throw before the count; the other may believe it or not. A bluffing game in a single round.
- Team relay. Two lines face off; the loser of each throw goes to the back and the winner stays. First line empty loses.
- Elimination circle. Everyone throws at once. If exactly two throws appear, the losing throw is out. If all three or only one appear, throw again.
My game-night picks
| Group | Play this |
|---|---|
| Kids under 8 | Classic, or Bear, Hunter, Ninja |
| Mixed family | Ant, Person, Elephant, then Lizard Spock |
| Friends who tie constantly | Lizard Spock |
| Board-game crowd | RPS-15 with a printed chart |
| Two competitive players | Muk-jji-ppa, best of five |
| Big group, 10+ | Team relay or elimination circle |
If you want to practise the classic version against an opponent that plays from what it has seen you do, you can play free online. For more on how each variant came about, see our variations page.
FAQ
What is the most popular Rock Paper Scissors variation?
Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock, by a wide margin, thanks to The Big Bang Theory.
Is there an official version with more moves?
No. The larger versions (RPS-7 through RPS-101) are the work of David Lovelace and are not sanctioned by anyone. Nobody regulates Rock Paper Scissors variants.
Why do all the variations have an odd number of throws?
With an even number, at least some throws would beat more options than they lose to, so the game would stop being fair. With an odd number, every throw can beat exactly half of the others.
What is the hardest variation to play?
RPS-101, simply because nobody remembers 5,050 matchups. For a hard game that is still playable, muk-jji-ppa tests reflexes more than memory.