Softonic

Flames Calculator

Step 1 / 3 Flames Calculator

Just for fun. FLAMES is a playground game, not a prediction.

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FLAMES is a playground game: write two names, cross out the letters they share, count the letters that are left and use that number to eliminate the letters of F-L-A-M-E-S until one remains. This calculator does the crossing out and the counting for you and shows every round, so you can check the result by hand. It is just for fun: the answer comes from letter counts, not from anything real about the two people.

How to play FLAMES

  1. 1

    Type the two names

    Enter a name in each box. Capital letters, spaces, hyphens and digits make no difference: only letters are compared.

  2. 2

    See the letters cancel

    Every letter that appears in both names is crossed out once, one for one. The page shows both names with the crossed-out letters and the number of letters left.

  3. 3

    Read the elimination

    The count is used to eliminate F, L, A, M, E and S round by round. The last letter standing is the result, with every round listed.

How the FLAMES game works

FLAMES stands for Friends, Lovers, Affection, Marriage, Enemies and Siblings. The method has three parts, and this tool follows them exactly.

  1. Cancel common letters. Take the first letter of the first name. If the second name contains it, cross out one copy in each name. Repeat for every letter. A letter that appears twice in one name and once in the other is crossed out only once, because each cancellation uses one letter from each side.
  2. Count what is left. Add up the letters that were not crossed out in both names. Call that number N.
  3. Eliminate around the circle. Write F L A M E S in a circle. Count N letters starting at F and cross out the letter where the count ends. Start the next count on the letter after the one you crossed out, wrap around the circle, and repeat until a single letter is left.

A worked example

Zoe and Ethan share one e. Crossing it out leaves z o and t h a n, so N = 6.

Round Letter crossed out Letters left
1 S F L A M E
2 F L A M E
3 A L M E
4 L M E
5 E M

The last letter is M, so Zoe and Ethan get Marriage.

What each count gives

Because the circle is always F L A M E S, the result depends only on N. These are the results for the first ten counts:

Letters left Result
1 Siblings
2 Enemies
3 Friends
4 Enemies
5 Friends
6 Marriage
7 Enemies
8 Affection
9 Enemies
10 Lovers

Things to know

  • The same two names always give the same answer, and swapping the order of the names does not change it.
  • Names with accented letters are compared letter by letter, so é and e count as different letters.
  • If every letter cancels, there is nothing to count and FLAMES has no answer. This tool tells you so instead of showing a result.
  • Different schools teach slightly different versions, for example counting from the letter after the last one crossed out. This tool starts each new count on the letter right after the one that was crossed out, and begins the first count on F.

Frequently Asked Questions

Friends, Lovers, Affection, Marriage, Enemies and Siblings. The game eliminates those six letters in a circle, and the one left is the result for the two names.

No. It is a game of counting letters, so the answer says nothing real about how two people get on. Use it for a laugh at a party or in a group chat, not to judge a relationship.

Only letters, compared without caring about capitals. Each letter in the first name cancels at most one matching letter in the second name, so repeated letters are handled one for one. Spaces, digits and symbols are ignored.

When both names are made of exactly the same letters, such as Sam and Mas, every letter is crossed out and the count is zero. FLAMES needs at least one letter left to count with, so there is no answer.

No. The names are sent to our server to work out the result, and they are added to the page link as you move between steps so a result can be bookmarked or shared. They are not saved to any account or profile.

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