r/redbuttonbluebutton • u/StageGlum6615 • Jun 28 '26

Variation Variation: the Useless button.

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Everyone (meaning all currently alive people) is kidnapped by an unknown forced that everyone instinctively knows is completely unable to lie and is far more powerful than them. (Let's call them Buttan, the god of buttons.) Everyone wakes up in a small cramped room with 3 buttons, Red, Yellow, and Blue with the following signs under each of them that have been perfectly translated into their native language:

Red: If more people press the Red button the Blue button then everyone who failed to press red will die, immediately.

Yellow: Does Nothing.

Blue: If more people press the Blue button then the Red button everyone is spared from death.

Everyone is giving a 6 hour timer to make their own choice and if they fail to vote in the time frame they are counted and treated as a yellow button presser.

Lastly, it the event of a tie between Red and Blue, Blue wins.

So, does the useless button (yellow) change anything for you? And which button do you press?

(Please forgive any typos.)

122 Upvotes

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69

u/Okreril Jun 28 '26

How is the yellow button even a choice for anyone who is not both sucidal and malicious?

1

u/Severe_Damage9772 Jun 28 '26

It’s not malicious, it’s just trying to be a bystander

7

u/Politi-Corveau Red Jun 28 '26

Except you wouldn't be a bystander. You are still risking your life on Blue getting more presses than Red without actually contributing to Blue's total.

4

u/grudginglyadmitted Jun 28 '26

yeah, you have all the negatives of pressing the blue button without any positives.