Rock paper scissors is not evil in any ordinary sense. The phrase "rock paper scissors is an evil game" mostly traces back to a running joke in the Cartoon Network series Regular Show, and the more serious objections people raise are about gambling or casting lots, which apply to how the game is used rather than the game itself.
I run an association devoted to this game, so I am not neutral. But the question gets asked often enough that it deserves a straight answer, including a fair account of the people who genuinely object.
The Regular Show origin
In Regular Show's "First Day" episode (season 2, based on the original pilot), Benson warns Mordecai and Rigby not to play rock paper scissors because it is an evil game. They play anyway to decide who gets an old chair. They tie over and over, and after 100 ties in a row a black hole opens and a monster comes out to take the prize.
It is a cartoon gag, and a good one. Clips of it circulate on TikTok and YouTube under titles like "Is Rock Paper Scissors an Evil Game?", and that is where most people first meet the idea. Nobody in the show is making a moral argument; the "evil" is supernatural and played for laughs.
For the record, 100 ties in a row between two random players has a probability of (1/3)^100, about 2 in 10^48. The monster is safe. Our math explainer shows the working.
The serious objections, stated fairly
Outside the cartoon, I have seen three kinds of objection. Each has a real point behind it.
1. It is gambling. Some people, often from religious traditions that oppose gambling, argue that using a game of chance to win money or goods is wrong. If two people bet cash on a throw, that is a wager, and anyone who objects to wagering will object to that. The objection is to the stake, not to the hand shapes. Played for nothing, or to decide who takes out the recycling, there is no wager.
2. It leaves decisions to chance. A related view holds that important choices should be made by reason, conversation or prayer rather than by luck. That is a coherent position. It is also worth knowing that many traditions have historically used lots to settle disputes fairly, so "deciding by chance" has been seen both as a problem and as a way to avoid favouritism.
3. It teaches domination. A few commentators, mostly in tongue-in-cheek pieces, argue the rules model crushing and cutting. In practice children understand it as a symmetric cycle where everyone wins and loses equally, which is closer to a lesson in fairness than aggression.
My view
A game is as good or bad as what you use it for. Rock paper scissors is one of the most even-handed ways ever invented to break a tie: no equipment, no advantage for age or strength, and every throw beats one option and loses to another. That is why it turns up in playgrounds, in court orders and in famous business deals.
If your family or faith avoids games of chance for money, the simple answer is not to bet on it. If you want to avoid chance entirely, remember that between humans it is not pure chance; habits and psychology play a big role.
FAQ
Who said rock paper scissors is an evil game?
The best-known source is Benson and Skips in Regular Show, in the episode "First Day". The line spread online through clips and memes.
Is rock paper scissors gambling?
Only if something of value is staked on the outcome. The game itself is not gambling.
Is it okay for kids to play?
Yes. It is widely used by teachers and parents to settle turns fairly. See our rules or let them play online.