The History of Rock Paper Scissors
Almost everyone knows rock paper scissors, yet few people know how old the idea behind it is. The trail leads to East Asia.
Early traces in China
The World Rock Paper Scissors Association traces the game back to the Chinese "shoushiling", roughly "hand command". It is said to have been played as early as the Han dynasty, between 206 BC and 220 AD. The evidence, however, comes from a 16th-century book by the author Xie Zhaozhi, so the early date is not beyond doubt.
The road to Japan
By the 17th century, a variant called "mushi-ken" was known in Japan. There the fingers stood for animals: the thumb was a frog, the little finger a slug and the index finger a snake. The core idea was already the same, since each sign beats exactly one other. Hand games like this led to the Japanese "jan-ken" with rock, paper and scissors as we know it today.
Spreading around the world
The game spread worldwide during the 20th century. Today it serves as a quick and fair way to decide things, such as who goes first. There are even organised tournaments.
Why the idea is so strong
The triangle in which each element beats another appears in many games today, because it means there is no single best choice. Rock Paper Reign combines this idea with a board game: hidden pieces, a flag to protect and a duel on a tie. Read the rules of the classic or play a match right away.