Where did Rock Paper Scissors originate?

Rock Paper Scissors most likely originated in China, where a hand game called Shoushiling is attributed to the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). It reached Japan by the 17th century, where it became known as jan-ken-pō, and spread to the West in the early 20th century.

What does jan-ken-pō mean?

Jan-ken-pō (じゃんけんぽん) is the Japanese name for Rock Paper Scissors. 'Jan-ken' refers to the game itself and 'pō' is an exclamation at the moment of reveal. The terms 'guu' (rock), 'choki' (scissors), and 'paa' (paper) are the gesture names in Japanese.

Is Rock Paper Scissors truly random?

Against a computer that chooses randomly, yes. Against humans, no. A study of repeated games (Zhejiang University, 2014) found that players tend to repeat a winning gesture (win-stay) and to change gesture after a loss (lose-shift).

Is Rock Paper Scissors a game of strategy or pure luck?

Against a CPU that chooses at random it is pure luck: no gesture has an advantage. In our game, on Medium and Hard the CPU sometimes counters your most-used gesture, so always throwing the same thing works against you. Against humans there is real strategy: people tend to repeat a winning gesture and to change after losing. Spotting those tendencies can give you an edge.

When did Rock Paper Scissors become popular in the West?

RPS was introduced to the West primarily through Japanese influence in the early 20th century. One of the earliest English-language descriptions appeared in 1924. It became widespread in Western countries throughout the 20th century.

The History of Rock Paper Scissors: 2,000 Years of a Hand Game

Origins in Han Dynasty China

Rock Paper Scissors is traditionally traced back to a Chinese hand game called Shoushiling (手勢令), attributed to the Han Dynasty period (206 BC – 220 AD). It is regarded as the most distant ancestor of the game we play today.

The structure it shares with Rock Paper Scissors is a three-way cycle: A beats B, B beats C and C beats A. That cycle is the mathematical core that makes the game work.

Fun fact: A Japanese ancestor of the game, mushi-ken (Edo period), used three animals instead of rock, paper and scissors: the frog beats the slug, the slug beats the snake, and the snake beats the frog.

Want to play while you read? Try Rock Paper Scissors online — against the CPU, with a friend online or with your camera.

Japan: Jan-ken-pō and formalization

The game reached Japan some time during the 17th century, likely through trade routes. By the Edo period (1603–1868) it was well documented under the name jan-ken-pō (じゃんけんぽん). The Japanese version standardized the three gestures that persist today:

Guu (グー) — closed fist, Rock
Choki (チョキ) — index and middle fingers extended, Scissors
Paa (パー) — open hand, Paper

Japan is also associated with the chant — "jan, ken, pō" — which signals the simultaneous reveal. Counting down together before the reveal makes the game self-regulating: it needs no referee.

Arrival in the West

One of the earliest English-language descriptions dates from 1924, in an article about Japanese children's games published in London, where it was presented as a curiosity. Over the 20th century it spread through schools in the United Kingdom and United States, often under names like "Paper Stone Scissors" or "Scissors Paper Stone."

Timeline: 2,000 years at a glance

~200 BC

Han Dynasty China: Shoushiling, the distant ancestor of the game, is attributed to this period.

17th century

Game reaches Japan via trade. Evolves into jan-ken-pō with standardized gestures and chant.

1924

One of the earliest English-language descriptions of the game appears in print in London.

20th century

Spreads through Western schools and becomes a familiar tiebreaker.

2002

First World RPS Championship held in Toronto, Canada.

2005

Christie's and Sotheby's settle who handles a Japanese company's art collection with a game of RPS. Christie's wins with Scissors.

2008

Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock appears on The Big Bang Theory and gains worldwide attention.

Why humans are predictable at RPS

Against a computer choosing randomly, RPS is a 33/33/33% coin flip with no optimal strategy. Against humans, it's a different game. A study from Zhejiang University (2014) involving 360 players in repeated RPS games found that, overall, each gesture was played about a third of the time, but individual players showed consistent patterns:

Win-stay tendency: Players who win a round tend to repeat the winning gesture more often than chance would predict.
Lose-shift tendency: Players who lose tend to change their gesture.

Experienced players exploit these tendencies. Competitive play is largely a psychological meta-game: what does my opponent think I will throw, and what gesture beats the thing they'll throw to beat that?

RPS in competitive sport

The World RPS Society held its first World Championship in Toronto in 2002 under formal tournament rules. In competitive play, players study opponent tendencies and try to influence behavior through eye contact and posture.

RPS in popular culture and legal decisions

Beyond sport, RPS has been used in surprisingly official contexts. In 2005, a Japanese company had to choose between two rival auction houses, Christie's and Sotheby's, to sell an art collection reported to be worth around $20 million. It asked them to settle it with a single game of Rock Paper Scissors. Christie's chose Scissors, Sotheby's chose Paper, and Christie's won.

In 2006, a US federal judge ordered opposing lawyers to settle a dispute over where to hold a deposition with a game of Rock Paper Scissors.

Want to experience the psychology yourself? Play Rock Paper Scissors against our AI: on Medium and Hard it learns your favorite move, so see if you can outplay it.

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