Rock Paper Scissors (Concept)

Rock Paper Scissors

CONCEPT

Mostly in games that involve strategy. It involves special attributes determining the strengths and weaknesses of each move, species, character or type. One attribute is strong against another attribute, and weak against another, often in a circular fashion.

Concept Images Related Pages

EditHistoryPage info

Rock-Paper-Scissors (referred to in different orders depending on region) is the most basic idea of the concept of attributable strength and weakness. Essentially, it sets up an unbreakable loop where every entry defeats another, and is in turn defeated by yet another.

Rock (Object) beats Scissors.
Scissors (Object) beats Paper.
Paper (Object) beats Rock.

Although the titular example is simple to the point where it is literally played and understood by children on the playground, many games take this idea and run with it; the Pokémon franchise features dozens of elemental "types" that all interact in the RPS format. Fire-type Pokémon are strong against Grass-types and Ice-types, but are in turn weak against Water-types and Rock-types. Each of the types has strengths and weakness (of differing levels, even) with several others, and Pokémon can be crossbreeds with two types, which cause them to have a mixture of the base types' strengths and weaknesses.

Games view all →]