RPSDb — The Global Hand Game Database

Hand games, also known as gestured-based games, are analog games played using the hands to make various gestures, where the outcome is determined by the established rules governing the relationship between those gestures. Hand games are commonly seen in children's natural play or early childhood education, and are also utilized by adults as an easy and convenient means of fair decision-making/determining victory. There are also variations of hand games where rules are made stricter and are used purely for competitive purposes.

Metagames

Higher-level categories used to classify functionally equivalent hand games by their fundamental gameplay mechanics.

Rock Paper Scissors

🏆 Competitive 👊✌️✋ Trinary 2 players

A traditional nontransitive hand game in which two or more players simultaneously choose one of three gestures—rock, paper, or scissors—to determine a winner. Ties are resolved by immediate replay or by a best-of series. It is commonly used as a neutral selection method or tiebreaker, and is one of the most widely played hand games globally.

Odds and Evens

🏆 Competitive 🤚✋👊…✌️ Extended 2 players

A two-player hand game used for quick decisions: one player is assigned “odds,” the other “evens.” On a shared count, both reveal one or two fingers; the parity of the sum determines the winner. Attested since classical antiquity in Greek and Latin sources, the game is widespread in Europe, North America, and some parts of South America.

Black and White

👥 Grouping 👊✋ Binary 3+ players

A binary hand game in which participants reveal one of two gestures. Common realizations are palm versus back of the hand, or two of the Rock Paper Scissors gestures. The game is typically used to decide order or assign teams before another game. It is widespread across Asia and in Asian diasporic communities.

Arm Wrestling

🏆 Competitive 🤚✋👊…✌️ Extended 2 players

A dedicated strength sport in which two opponents, with bent elbows resting on a flat surface and hands firmly gripped, attempt to force the back of the rival's hand down to the winning pad or parallel line of the surface. While highly dependent on raw strength, matches also rely on complex techniques (hook, toproll, press) and leverage, making it a specialized physical contest.

Chopsticks

🏆 Competitive 🤚✋👊…✌️ Extended 2 players

A two-player, combinatorial finger game also known as Sticks or Splits, where players start with one finger extended on each hand and take turns “attacking” an opponent's hand to transfer points (fingers). The objective is to eliminate both of the opponent's hands by causing them to reach five or more fingers. The game is known for its mathematical complexity and various rule sets regarding finger splitting and rollover scoring.