Rock-Paper-Scissors: Five Lives

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Energize a group through quick, non-contact elimination rounds using changing body postures.

Use it when: Use during energy dips between long sedentary sessions when the room needs movement and low-stakes competition.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have restricted physical mobility, when the floor is hard or unhygienic without mats, or when business attire makes floor contact awkward.

Group arrangement: Initial pairs across open floor space, rotating to new available partners throughout.

Timing: Playmeo lists this as a quick game under 5 minutes; UWT suggests 10 minutes to allow clear demonstration, multi-round play, and a brief reset.

Materials and tools

• Clean floor space or activity mats large enough for participants to sit and lie down safely
• Index cards with numbers 1 through 5 (optional, for seated accessibility tracking)

Before participants arrive

1. Clear furniture so participants can move, kneel, sit, and lie down without obstructions.
2. Check that the floor is dry and safe for floor postures.

Say this to open

Pair up and stand facing your partner. We are playing Rock-Paper-Scissors with five physical levels. Everyone begins at Level 5, standing on two feet. A win moves you up one level, topping out at Level 5. A loss drops you down one level: one knee, both knees, sitting, and finally lying on your back. If you lose a throw while lying on your back, you are out. We will demonstrate the call together first: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot.

How to run it

1. Demonstrate postures and timing 2 minutes

   Demonstrate the five posture levels: Level 5 is standing on both feet; Level 4 is kneeling on one knee; Level 3 is kneeling on both knees; Level 2 is sitting flat on the floor; Level 1 is lying flat on your back. Practice the unison call once: 'Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!' Hands reveal on 'Shoot'.

2. Play opening rounds 2 minutes

   Partners play one initial round. If a player wins, they remain at Level 5. The player who loses drops immediately to Level 4 (one knee). Ties replay immediately. The pair plays a second round from their respective positions, adjusting one level up or down based on the result.

3. Rotate freely and eliminate 4 minutes

   Release players to challenge any available partner in the room regardless of current posture level. For each throw, the winner moves up one level (maximum Level 5) and the loser moves down one level. If a player on Level 1 (lying on back) loses a throw, they are eliminated and step to the side. Continue until two finalists remain.

4. Run final match and reset 2 minutes

   Have the final two players face off in the center of the room from their current levels. When one player loses all lives, congratulate the champion. Invite everyone to return to their seats.

Debrief questions

• What tactic helped you recover your position after dropping down multiple levels?
• How did changing your physical posture change how you played or communicated?

Finished output: One final player remains after all other participants are eliminated.

Remote

This physical posture game requires floor movement and does not translate directly online. Instead, run the seated alternative Rock-Paper-Scissors: Five Fingers. Each remote player starts on camera with five fingers held up. In pairs or breakout rooms, a loss lowers one finger and a win raises one finger. Players with zero fingers turn off their cameras until one winner remains.

Hybrid

Hybrid play requires running two parallel tournaments. In-person participants play the floor-posture game. Remote participants meet in a video room playing the Five Fingers variation. To conclude, the in-person finalist and remote finalist play a best-of-three match on camera using the Five Fingers hand method.

Access and participation choices

• Offer the Five Fingers variant to anyone who cannot or prefers not to kneel or lie on the floor; they play from a chair showing finger counts 1 to 5, or use index cards numbered 1 to 5 placed in front of them to display their current level.
• Participants may choose to serve as referee, scorekeeper, or cadence caller without giving a reason.

If the session gets stuck

An odd number of participants leaves one person without an opponent.

Assign the extra person as official cadence referee for the first round; they rotate in as soon as any participant is eliminated or finishes a bout.

Players disagree on throw timing or change hand shapes late.

Pause play and reset the common rhythm by having everyone chant 'Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot' together before resuming.

Terms used here

• Level: One of five body postures marking remaining lives: Level 5 (standing), Level 4 (one knee), Level 3 (two knees), Level 2 (sitting), and Level 1 (lying on back).