Ready, Aim, Fire

Ready, Aim, Fire is a game invented by Richard Garfield. It is an extension of Rock, Paper, Scissors for more than two players. The object is to be the last player remaining in the game.

A game of Ready, Aim, Fire consists of a series of rounds. In each round, each player chooses to aim their gun at the air, any opponent, or themself. The following rules then determine which players survive and which players die:

• If you shoot the air, then you do not cause any players to die. You die if any opponent shoots you.
• If you shoot an opponent, then that player dies if they didn't shoot themself. If they did shoot themself, then they live, and you die. You also die if any opponent shoots you.
• If you shoot yourself, then you die if no one else shoots you. If any opponent shoots you, then you live, and all opponents who shot you die.

A series of rounds is played in this way until only a single player remains (in which case that player is the winner) or no players remain (in which case the game is a draw).

The similarity of this game to Rock Paper Scissors becomes apparent when we analyze the two-player game. Assume the two players are A and B. Then each player has three options: shoot air, shoot the opponent, or shoot self.

• If A and B both shoot the air, both players live, and another round is played.
• If A and B both shoot self, or both shoot each other, then both players die.
• If A shoots the air and B shoots himself, then B dies and A wins. (The same is true if you reverse A and B.)
• If A shoots himself and B shoots A, then B dies and A wins. (The same is true if you reverse A and B.)
• If A shoots B and B shoots the air, then B dies and A wins. (The same is true if you reverse A and B.)

In other words, shooting air beats shooting self beats shooting the opponent beats shooting air, while if both pick the same option, then both players either live or die. Replace "shooting air" with Rock, "shooting self" with Scissors, and "shooting the opponent" with Paper, and the game is equivalent to Rock Paper Scissors.

See Also

• Rock, Paper, Scissors variations