Logic. Memory. Luck.

Rock Paper Scissors

Ages 10+
Players 2-3
10 mins

Rock Paper Scissors has been played through generations and across continents. This card version pays tribute to its enduring legacy with suits designed to represent a wide breadth and depth of geographies, epochs, cultures, and movements. We hope you like our beautiful little game.

This card game consists of 11 suits. Each suit has only three cards: a rock, paper, and scissors. What’s the twist? 
The suit is also visible on the back of the card, so your opponent always has insight into your hand.
You’ll take turns attacking and defending, gaining more information as the game goes on, as long as you can remember what you’ve seen.

Don’t be deceived by its simplicity; there’s more depth than meets the eye.

Without further adieu, let’s meet the suits…

How To Play

Standard Rules

Goal: when you have 5 cards in your Graveyard, you lose.

SEtup

  1. Decide how many suits to play with. 7 is a good start.
  2. Deal five cards to each player.
  3. Play a round of traditional hand-based Rock Paper Scissors to determine the first attacker.

On your turn, you must attack:

  1. Play a card from your hand face-down on the table.
  2. Your opponent plays a card face-up in response.
  3. Reveal your card.
  • Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beat Paper, Paper beats Rock.

  • The winner puts their card at the bottom of the deck, and picks up a new card.

  • Then the loser puts their card face-down in front of them (forming their Graveyard), and picks up a new card.

ADDITIONAL RULES

  • Suits do not affect the outcome.
  • Players must fan their hand and Graveyard to display the suits to their opponent.
  • At the beginning of each turn, both players must hold five cards in their hand if there is a deck to draw from.
  • Players may not check the cards in their graveyard.

Variations

  • Open Casket: All graveyard cards are face-up.
  • 2-Piece Suit: Play with all the suits, but randomly discard one card from each face-down at the beginning of the game.
  • 3 Players: Add in 2 additional suits. On your turn, you can attack to your left. When you have 5 cards in your Graveyard you are out, and the cards in your hand and Graveyard are returned to the bottom of the deck. Ties change the direction of play, with the attacking player attacking again.

Advanced Rules

To play:

  • On your turn, you have another option. Instead of attacking, you can try to win the game early by guessing cards in your opponent’s hand.

To guess to win:

  1. Name five specific cards you believe to be in your opponent’s hand or Graveyard.
    (e.g., “Botswana Rock, Ukraine Paper, Oceania Paper, Gothic Rock, Art Deco Scissors”)
  2. Your opponent checks their hand and Graveyard.
  • If all five cards are present you win!
  • If any of the cards are missing…
    • Your opponent simply says “Narr” without verifying any specific cards.
    • As a penalty, your opponent chooses one of the cards from your hand to see.

ADDITIONAL RULES

  • You must take one action on your turn: attack or guess to win.
  • Players may only check their Graveyard when an opponent attempts a winning guess.

Variations

  • 3 Player: Same as basic. On your turn, you can attack OR try to guess any player’s cards to kick them out early.

Enjoy the game and good luck!