Rock Paper Scissors
Rock, paper, scissors against the computer — it picks uniformly at random, you pick whatever you like, and the score keeps its own count. An opponent that cannot be read and cannot be outguessed.
How to use
- Choose rock, paper or scissors.
- See the computer's simultaneous pick and the round's result.
- Play on; the tally tracks wins, losses and draws.
- Expect one third each of wins, losses and draws over a long session — that is the math working.
When you actually need this
- Settling a choice solo when there is no second person to play against.
- Letting two people resolve a dispute via neutral referee — each plays the computer.
- Demonstrating game theory's mixed strategies in the simplest possible arena.
- Killing a spare minute.
Why random is unbeatable — and humans are not
Against a uniformly random opponent, every strategy of yours yields exactly one third win, lose and draw — game theory calls this the mixed-strategy equilibrium, and there is provably no way to beat it. The interesting fact is the reverse: humans are terrible randomisers. Studies of real play show winners tend to repeat their winning throw while losers switch to the throw that just beat them — patterns a human opponent can exploit, which is precisely why tournament play between people rewards psychology. Against this computer, none of that helps; the machine has no pattern to read.
Related tools
FAQ
Is the result from Rock Paper Scissors genuinely random?
It uses the browser's built-in random number generator, which is uniform and unpredictable for everyday purposes such as picking a name, settling a decision or running a giveaway. It is not a cryptographic source and should not be used to generate keys or secrets.
Can the outcome be rigged or predicted?
No. Each draw is generated fresh in your browser at the moment you press the button, with no server involved and no stored sequence. Nobody, including us, can see or influence the result.
Can I use Rock Paper Scissors to pick winners for a giveaway?
Yes, and it is a common use. For transparency, record your screen while you draw or take a screenshot of the result so participants can see the outcome was not edited afterwards.