settle itRPS-7 rules and online play
Rules & online play.
Play RPS-7 online with rock, paper, scissors, fire, water, air and sponge. Learn all 21 matchups and start a friend contest in one click.
One click creates a friend invite with 7 moves. Your player name is “You”.
What beats what?
David C. Lovelace's RPS-7 gives each of its seven moves three wins and three losses. Matching moves tie. Check the complete matchup table before playing.
| Your move | Rock | Fire | Scissors | Sponge | Paper | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock | Tie | Win | Win | Win | Lose | Lose | Lose |
| Fire | Lose | Tie | Win | Win | Win | Lose | Lose |
| Scissors | Lose | Lose | Tie | Win | Win | Win | Lose |
| Sponge | Lose | Lose | Lose | Tie | Win | Win | Win |
| Paper | Win | Lose | Lose | Lose | Tie | Win | Win |
| Air | Win | Win | Lose | Lose | Lose | Tie | Win |
| Water | Win | Win | Win | Lose | Lose | Lose | Tie |
All 21 winning matchups
- Rock beats Fire.
- Rock beats Scissors.
- Rock beats Sponge.
- Fire beats Scissors.
- Fire beats Paper.
- Fire beats Sponge.
- Scissors beats Air.
- Scissors beats Paper.
- Scissors beats Sponge.
- Sponge beats Paper.
- Sponge beats Air.
- Sponge beats Water.
- Paper beats Air.
- Paper beats Rock.
- Paper beats Water.
- Air beats Fire.
- Air beats Rock.
- Air beats Water.
- Water beats Rock.
- Water beats Fire.
- Water beats Scissors.
Example: If you lock in Rock and your friend locks in Fire, you win. If you both choose Rock, the round is a tie.
Learn all seven gestures
Keep the seven-by-seven chart open for your first games. The four added gestures are fire, water, air and sponge. Each move has three winning and three losing matchups; the names alone do not make every outcome obvious.
A worked round
Alex chooses sponge and Sam chooses water. Sponge absorbs water, so Alex wins. If both choose sponge, the throw ties and the creator can start a new one.
Tie rates and fair choices
There are 7 moves for each player, so there are 7 × 7 = 49 possible ordered pairs of moves. Exactly 7 pairs match. If both players choose independently and each move is equally likely, the tie rate is 7/49 = 1/7, or about 14.3%.
Under the same assumptions, each player wins about 42.9% of rounds. No move is inherently stronger: each beats 3 and loses to 3. These are mathematical odds, not a guarantee about people who repeat favorite moves or copy each other.
For a quick decision, agree to play until the first non-tie. If you prefer a best-of-three, agree to count wins yourselves and use rematches until someone has two; tied rounds do not count as a win.
History and origins
David C. Lovelace published RPS-7 in 2003 as an expansion of the classic game. His original chart lists all 21 winning relationships. This online ruleset follows that chart rather than inventing a different seven-move cycle.
Read more: David C. Lovelace's original RPS-7 rules.
How to play RPS-7 with a friend
- Create your contest. Choose RPS-7, enter your name, and describe the friendly disagreement you want to settle.
- Invite your friend. Share the invite link or the contest code directly with your friend. Once they join, both players can choose a move.
- Lock in your move. Select a move and lock it in. A locked move cannot be changed, and your friend’s choice stays hidden until both players commit.
- Read the result. Both moves and the winner are revealed together. The creator can start another round to break a tie or offer a rematch.
No account or download is needed. Keep using the same browser to retain your seat. The contest expires seven days after creation.
Questions about RPS-7
What beats what in RPS-7?
Rock beats Fire and Scissors and Sponge. Fire beats Scissors and Sponge and Paper. Scissors beats Sponge and Paper and Air. Sponge beats Paper and Air and Water. Paper beats Rock and Air and Water. Air beats Rock and Fire and Water. Water beats Rock and Fire and Scissors. Matching moves tie.
How likely is a tie?
With independent, uniformly random choices, 7 of the 49 possible ordered pairs are ties: 1 in 7. Human habits can change the observed rate. Matching moves always tie; the creator can start another round.
Can I play RPS-7 against the computer?
Yes. Choose this variant and select The computer on the contest form. The computer commits a random move before you choose on every round. You can also opt into a computer opponent after a minute if no friend joins, or start computer play from the waiting room.
Can a friend see my move before locking theirs?
No. The server keeps the opponent’s move hidden until both players have committed. Each locked choice is final for that round, and a rematch starts with fresh choices.
Ready to put the rules to work?
Create a contest with RPS-7 already selected, then invite a friend or choose the computer.
Start this variant →Try another ruleset
See our comparison of rock paper scissors variants to choose by number of moves, tie rate and learning time. For a three-choice game from Indonesia, try the Elephant Human Ant hand game, where the ant beats the elephant.