What this game is
Rock-paper-scissors is the oldest simultaneous decision game there is. Each round you pick one of three moves; the computer picks its own at the same time. Rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, and paper beats rock — every move beats exactly one and loses to exactly one, which is what makes the game balanced and fun.
You can play loose single rounds, or switch to best-of-five matches, where the first to three round-wins takes the match and your win count is tracked.
How to play
- Pick a mode: single rounds for a quick flick of the wrist, or best of five for a proper match.
- Choose rock, paper or scissors — the computer answers instantly and the hands animate.
- Round result: a win shows green, a loss red, a draw grey.
- In best-of-five, the first player to three round-wins wins the match.
Can you beat a computer?
This computer chooses uniformly at random, which is the mathematically optimal strategy against an unknown opponent — there is no pattern to exploit. That said, you can still improve your odds against humans: most people under-play rock, and losers tend to repeat the winning move of their opponent (the "win-stay, lose-shift" habit). Both facts turn into real money at the World RPS Championships.
Frequently asked questions
Is the computer really random?
Yes — each round is an independent uniform pick from the three moves, generated in your browser. Your running score is only in the page.
What is the win rate?
Around a third each for wins, losses and draws. Over best-of-five matches, expect to win about 3 in 10 matches and lose about the same — pure luck decides the rest.
Want more games?
Tic-Tac-Toe adds a little strategy, Mental Math Sprint adds a lot of speed, and the games hub has all of them.
Related tools
For the decisions that need more than three options, the Percentage Calculator and Currency Converter have you covered.