How to play Rock Paper Scissors War
It looks like rock paper scissors. It plays like a war. You hold a hand of cards and split it across three fronts, and whoever takes two fronts takes the game.
Play free in your browserThe board
There are three fronts, side by side. Every round both players place cards onto them, and then all three fronts fight at once. You never choose a single throw — you choose how to divide what you have.
The three ways a front is played
The fronts are not identical, and this is where the game stops being a coin flip. Each round, the three fronts are dealt one of three roles, and the roles rotate:
| Role | What happens |
|---|---|
| You play first | Your cards go down face up. Your opponent answers knowing exactly what they are facing. |
| They play first | Their count goes down first and you answer. You know how many, never which. |
| Blind | Both sides commit at the same time and nothing is shown until the clash. |
Because the roles rotate, the front you were safe on last round is the front you are exposed on next round.
The clash — only the smaller side's count fights
This is the rule that makes the game a puzzle instead of an arms race. When a front resolves, the number of clashes equals the smaller of the two card counts. Four cards against one is a single clash — the other three do nothing that round. Piling cards onto one front does not buy you wins; it buys you presence.
Each clash is ordinary rock paper scissors:
- Rock breaks scissors.
- Scissors cut paper.
- Paper covers rock.
- On a tie, both cards break.
The loser's card is removed. Cards that were never matched, and cards that won, stay standing for the next round — so a front you keep feeding gets thick and expensive to take.
Order matters
The cards on a front fight in the order they are lined up, front to back. Before the clash you can pull one card to the front of the line — the vanguard. When only one clash is going to happen, the card at the front is the only card that matters.
Scoring, and why late rounds decide games
Every round is worth points, and the later rounds are worth more. Whoever is left standing on a front takes that front's points. If neither side is left standing, the points are not lost — they carry into the next round on that same front.
A quiet front that ties twice suddenly holds a pile of points, and both players can see it coming. That is usually where a game turns.
Winning
You win by reaching the target score, or by holding the higher score when the last round ends. A short game is seven rounds to nine points; a long game is nine rounds to fifteen. Games are decided, not drawn — ties on the board are broken by who took more fronts.
Terrain
Each game gets one terrain, drawn at the start, that bends a rule for both players equally — one front worth double, one front that refuses reinforcements, a round where everyone draws extra. You see it before you place your first card. It is the same for both sides, so it never decides a game on its own; it decides which front was worth fighting for.
Frequently asked
Is it free?
Yes. It runs in the browser, with no account and no download.
Can I play against a person?
Yes — pass one device back and forth, or take an online match. If nobody is waiting online, a computer opponent takes the seat so you are never left in a queue.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, held sideways. Three fronts need the wide side of the screen.
How long is a game?
About four minutes for the short game, closer to seven for the long one.