How FLAMES works
Write both names and cross out the letters they share, one for one. If both names have an A, cross out one A in each. Count the letters that are left over, then count that number around the word F-L-A-M-E-S. Cross out the letter you land on and start counting again from the next one. The last letter standing is your result.
The six results are Friends, Love, Affection, Marriage, Enemies and Siblings. Some players use Sister for S; we use Siblings so the game works for everyone. The letters stay in English in every language, because that's how the game is played around the world.
Looking for a percentage instead? Try the love calculator.
What your result means
FLAMES gives one of six words, and each one is a playful label, not a forecast. Friends, Love, Affection, Marriage, Enemies or Siblings simply depends on how many letters are left after crossing out the ones your names share. Change a nickname or add a middle name and the result changes too, which is half the fun.
How FLAMES is viewed
FLAMES is a classic school game in many countries and especially loved in India and the Philippines, where generations of students have played it in the back pages of their notebooks. Because it needs nothing but paper and a pencil, it spread from classroom to classroom long before the internet. Today it's mostly nostalgia: people play it to laugh, remember school days or tease a friend.
How it can help you
Play it as an ice-breaker at a party or a family dinner: try every pair at the table and see who ends up as Siblings or Enemies. It's also a gentle way to tease a friend about a crush without saying anything serious. Keep it light; the fun is in the counting, not the verdict.
An honest note
FLAMES is pure chance dressed up as a game. Enemies says nothing about a real friendship, and Marriage doesn't mean you should start planning a wedding.