Ladder game
Match names to results with a random ladder, a game also known as ghost leg, Amidakuji or ladder lottery. Add 2 to 12 players and trace each line down to its result.
Tap a name at the top to follow its line down.
Results
How to use it
- Set the number of "Players" (2 to 12) and type the names under "Names (top)".
- Fill in "Results (bottom)". Use "Quick fill:" to choose "One winner", "Order", "One forfeit" or "Chores", or type your own results.
- Click "Start" to draw a new random ladder.
- Tap a name at the top to watch its path being drawn down to its result, or click "Show all" to reveal every path.
- Click "Copy results" to copy the list, "New ladder" to redraw it, or "Change names" to go back and edit.
What it does
2 to 12 players
Name each player at the top and give each result a place at the bottom, for groups from a pair to a dozen.
Quick fills
"One winner", "Order" (1st, 2nd and so on), "One forfeit" and "Chores" fill in the results for you, or you can type your own.
A random ladder
Rungs are placed with the browser's cryptographic random number generator, and each gap between two lines gets at least one rung.
One result each
A ladder always pairs the top and the bottom one to one, so every player ends at a different result.
One path or all of them
Tap a name to watch just that path being drawn, or use "Show all" to reveal every path at once. The results list can be copied.
Names and results kept
Your names and results are kept in this browser, ready for another round. Nothing is uploaded.
Good to know
A ladder game is a way of drawing lots with a drawing instead of a hat. It is called Amidakuji in Japanese, 사다리타기 in Korean, and ghost leg or ladder lottery in English. Groups use it to decide who wins, who goes first, who pays a forfeit and who does which chore.
The picture is a row of vertical lines, one per player, joined by short horizontal rungs. Each player follows their line down and crosses to the neighboring line whenever a rung appears, and the place where the path reaches the bottom is that player's result. For a group in one room, show the screen and let everyone tap their own name in turn, or reveal every path with "Show all" for a quick wrap-up. "New ladder" redraws the ladder with the same names if you want another round.
Questions and answers
How does a ladder game work?
Each player starts at a name at the top and goes down their line. Every time a rung appears, they cross to the line next to it, and where the path ends at the bottom is their result.
How many players can I add?
From 2 to 12. Change the number under "Players", then type a name for each player at the top and a result for each place at the bottom.
Can two players end at the same result?
No. Each result at the bottom is reached by exactly one player, so with six players and six results every result is used once.
Is the ladder random?
Yes. The rungs are placed with your browser's cryptographic random number generator, and each gap between two lines gets at least one rung, so every pair of neighboring lines is connected. Click "New ladder" for a different one.
How do I see everyone's results at once?
Click "Show all" to reveal every path. The "Results" list then holds every name with its result, and "Copy results" copies it.
Are my names saved?
Yes, in this browser on this device only, so they are still there next time you open the page.