FLAMES Rules and Worked Example
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FLAMES is a paper-and-pencil name game. Remove matching letters from two normalized names, count the letters that remain, then eliminate categories from the word FLAMES until one is left. You can run this disclosed version in the CalculatorGeek Love Calculator.
There is no scientific interpretation. The important implementation questions are which category words, cancellation rules, starting position, and zero-count behavior a version uses.
What does FLAMES stand for?
CalculatorGeek uses Friends, Love, Affection, Marriage, Enemies, Siblings. These words are game labels, not predictions. Other local traditions may use different wording for the final S or another elimination convention, which is why a trustworthy digital version should disclose its list.
FLAMES rules step by step
- Normalize both names by folding case, removing combining marks, and removing spacing and punctuation.
- Cancel one matching occurrence at a time. Duplicate letters must be matched by count, not removed as one set.
- Add the unmatched letters remaining in both names.
- Start with Friends, Love, Affection, Marriage, Enemies, Siblings.
- Count around the current list by the unmatched-letter total and remove the category reached.
- Resume from the next category and repeat until one remains.
Reversing the two names cannot change the unmatched multiset, so the result is order-symmetric.
Worked example: Alex and Jordan
Normalize the names to alex and jordan. One a appears in each name, so cancel that pair. The remaining letters are lex and jordn, for a total of eight.
Cycle through the six categories with a count of eight, removing one category each round. Under CalculatorGeek's published convention, the remaining category is Affection.
The exact FLAMES category is independently fixture-tested. The percentage displayed beside it comes from the separate published name-game formula.
Identical names and the zero-count rule
If two normalized names are identical, every occurrence cancels and the unmatched count is zero. A naive modulo implementation can fail or loop incorrectly at this boundary.
CalculatorGeek explicitly maps zero unmatched letters to Friends. This is an editorial boundary rule chosen for stable software behavior; it is not a universal FLAMES tradition.
Why FLAMES results vary across sites
Results can differ when a site keeps spaces, removes duplicate letters incorrectly, replaces Siblings with Soulmates, restarts counting at a different position, or applies a hidden random adjustment. Transliteration and nickname choices can also change the letters.
A different result does not make either game a relationship assessment. It usually means the implementations use different folk-game conventions.
The percentage and category are separate
The FLAMES process returns a word, not a percentage. CalculatorGeek shows the category and, for visual consistency across modes, a percentage produced by the independently documented name-game formula. The percentage does not influence the elimination count or final FLAMES category.
Keeping the two outputs separate prevents a category from being disguised as a scientific numeric probability. Read about game scores versus real relationship factors before interpreting either output.
Frequently asked questions
Do I use full names or first names?
Use either consistently. Different spellings produce different game inputs.
Do repeated letters count more than once?
Yes. Each occurrence can cancel only one matching occurrence in the other name.
Does FLAMES predict marriage?
No. Marriage is only one label in a word game.
Why does CalculatorGeek use Siblings instead of Soulmates?
This version uses the classic six-word list stated on the page. Other traditions vary.
Are the names saved?
The browser calculation and shared result design do not require names in the share URL.
Primary sources
The FLAMES procedure is a folk game without one controlling standards body. CalculatorGeek therefore identifies its six labels, cancellation method, resumption rule, and zero-count behavior instead of claiming one universal version.
Implementation and content checks were completed on September 17, 2026. Automated fixtures cover the worked example, reversed inputs, duplicate-letter cancellation, Unicode input, punctuation-only rejection, and identical names.
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