Who invented Rock Paper Scissors?

No single inventor is known. The earliest recorded ancestor is the Chinese hand game shoushiling, described during the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). The modern rock, paper, and scissors shapes come from the Japanese game janken, which developed in the 19th century.

How old is Rock Paper Scissors?

Its Chinese ancestor shoushiling is roughly 2,000 years old. The modern form with rock, paper, and scissors - Japanese janken - is about 200 years old, and the game became widespread in Europe and North America during the 20th century.

What is Rock Paper Scissors called in Japan?

Janken. A round starts with the call 'jan-ken-pon', and the shapes are guu (rock), choki (scissors), and paa (paper). Janken is still used daily in Japan to settle decisions.

When did Rock Paper Scissors reach the West?

Descriptions of the Japanese game appeared in Western publications in the early 20th century, and the game spread widely in Europe and North America through the mid-1900s as contact with Japan increased.

Are there Rock Paper Scissors championships?

Yes. Organized tournaments exist worldwide - the World Rock Paper Scissors Society staged international championships in Toronto in the 2000s, and leagues and charity events still crown national champions today.

The history of Rock Paper Scissors

Rock Paper Scissors is one of the oldest hand games still played today. Its story runs from Han-dynasty China through Japanese janken to modern world championships - about 2,000 years of settling arguments with three hand shapes.

Ancient origins in China

The earliest known ancestor of the game is shoushiling, a Chinese hand game recorded during the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). Like the modern game, it used simultaneous hand signs in a cycle where each sign defeated one other and lost to another - the core idea that still defines Rock Paper Scissors.

Japanese ken games and janken

Hand games of this family, called ken games, flourished in Japan from the 17th century onward. An early favourite was mushi-ken, played with a frog, a slug, and a snake. The version the world knows today - janken, with rock (guu), scissors (choki), and paper (paa) - took shape in the 19th century. Rounds begin with the call 'jan-ken-pon', and janken remains an everyday decision-making tool in Japan.

Spreading to the West

Western writers began describing the Japanese game in the early 20th century, and through the mid-1900s it spread across Europe and North America under names like roshambo, becoming the playground standard for settling disputes. The rules stayed exactly the same: three shapes, one simple cycle.

Championships and the modern game

In the 2000s the World Rock Paper Scissors Society staged televised international championships in Toronto, and organized leagues, bar tournaments, and charity events continue worldwide. Competitive players treat the game as psychology rather than luck - reading habits and baiting throws, the same skills covered in our winning strategy guide and quantified in the odds and probability breakdown.

History FAQ

Who invented Rock Paper Scissors?: No single inventor is known. The earliest recorded ancestor is the Chinese hand game shoushiling, described during the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). The modern rock, paper, and scissors shapes come from the Japanese game janken, which developed in the 19th century.
How old is Rock Paper Scissors?: Its Chinese ancestor shoushiling is roughly 2,000 years old. The modern form with rock, paper, and scissors - Japanese janken - is about 200 years old, and the game became widespread in Europe and North America during the 20th century.
What is Rock Paper Scissors called in Japan?: Janken. A round starts with the call 'jan-ken-pon', and the shapes are guu (rock), choki (scissors), and paa (paper). Janken is still used daily in Japan to settle decisions.
When did Rock Paper Scissors reach the West?: Descriptions of the Japanese game appeared in Western publications in the early 20th century, and the game spread widely in Europe and North America through the mid-1900s as contact with Japan increased.
Are there Rock Paper Scissors championships?: Yes. Organized tournaments exist worldwide - the World Rock Paper Scissors Society staged international championships in Toronto in the 2000s, and leagues and charity events still crown national champions today.

Two thousand years of history, one click to play: play Rock Paper Scissors online against the AI, or try the five-shape variation Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock.