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Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock
online with a friend

Five gestures instead of three, and far fewer ties. The expanded version made famous by The Big Bang Theory, playable online with a friend in seconds.

▶ Play Rock Paper Scissors Lizard SpockFree · no signup · just share a link

How to play
  1. Both players throw at the same time, choosing from rock, paper, scissors, lizard or Spock.
  2. Each gesture beats two others and loses to two others. Rock crushes scissors and lizard. Paper covers rock and disproves Spock. Scissors cut paper and decapitate lizard. Lizard poisons Spock and eats paper. Spock smashes scissors and vaporises rock.
  3. Tap the ? button in the game for a diagram — every arrow points at what that gesture defeats.
  4. Choose a single round or a best-of-3, 5, 7 or 9 match.

Strategy & tips
  • Ties become rare. With three gestures you tie one round in three. With five, it drops to one in five — so expect far more decisive rounds and a faster match.
  • Old habits carry over. Players who grew up on the classic game still reach for rock and scissors most often. Spock beats both, which makes it a strong opening throw.
  • Lizard and Spock are underused. Because they're picked less often, they're less expected — useful exactly when your opponent thinks they've figured you out.
  • Counter the Spock lover. If your opponent keeps reaching for the Vulcan salute, answer with lizard or paper: both defeat it.

Where it comes from

The five-gesture version was invented by Sam Kass and Karen Bryla, and it exists for a practical reason: with only three gestures, two experienced players tie constantly. Adding two gestures makes ties rarer without breaking the symmetry — every gesture still beats exactly half the others.