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Icebreaker

Rock Paper Scissors Evolution

Also called Egg Chicken Dinosaur, Evolution, Bato-Bato-Pik Evolution

Everyone starts as an egg; win rock-paper-scissors against someone at your stage to evolve into a chicken, a dinosaur, then a human.

people
12–150
time
8 min
energy
High
materials
No materials
Kids-safeHR-safeChurch-safe
Watch it played
How to play4

Before you start

Clear an open floor. Demonstrate each stage's move with a volunteer before starting: egg crouches with arms over the head, chicken flaps elbows, dinosaur stomps with claws up, human stands tall.

  1. 1Everyone starts as an egg and can only challenge another egg.
  2. 2Win a rock-paper-scissors throw and you evolve one stage: egg → chicken → dinosaur → human.
  3. 3Lose and you drop back one stage (an egg just stays an egg).
  4. 4Always do your stage's move and sound so others can find a match. Humans walk to the side and cheer; play until only a few stragglers remain.
What to say3
  1. 1“Everybody is an egg. Crouch down — yes, you too, boss!”
  2. 2“Win and you evolve. Lose and you go back. Find someone who looks like you!”
  3. 3“Humans, stand by the wall and cheer for the last dinosaurs!”
Host tips3
  • The game never ends on its own — there is always one egg, chicken and dinosaur left. Call time when the floor is down to four or five players.
  • Adults stop doing the moves after a minute, and then nobody can tell who is what stage. Keep shouting the sounds yourself and it stays alive.
  • With 60+ players it gets loud and crowded. Run two separate games in two halves of the room rather than one big one.
Variants2

  • Gentle

    Losers stay at their stage instead of dropping back. The game ends faster and nobody gets stuck as an egg forever.

  • Office remix

    Rename the stages for the event: intern → associate → manager → CEO, each with its own silly pose.

Safety2
  • Crouching as an egg is hard on knees and for seniors or pregnant guests — let them do the egg as arms in a circle overhead while standing.
  • Dinosaur stomping in a crowd leads to stepped-on toes; keep shoes on.
Good for

Occasions

Team buildingSchoolRetreatBirthdayChristmas

Venues

Indoor, largeOutdoorOfficeChurch hall
If this one dies early1