Random ladder game
Match 2-100 names to results, draw winners or split teams. Select a name to follow its path. A shared link replays the same inputs and seed.
match · draw · teams
Create ladder
Enter one participant per line.
Edit names, results and mode
Separate names with line breaks or commas. Ladder matches need one result per participant; draws and teams use a count instead.
Enter one participant per line, then select Create ladder.Select a name above to follow its path. · seed
For many participants, scroll the ladder sideways. Columns keep enough space for individual names.
Results
No participants revealed yet.
crypto.getRandomValues to generate a 128-bit seed, then chooses the assignments as a random permutation before drawing a ladder that realizes it. Clicking order and animation speed do not change the assignments already made. The link contains the seed, mode, names and results. It is not encrypted or signed, and the tool does not store it on a server. Quick answer
Ladder matches, prize draws or teams: which mode fits?
| Mode | Input | Use it for | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Random ladder game | Names + the same number of result items | Matching lunch choices, seats, turns or gift partners | One participant → one result |
| Prize draw | Names + number of winners | Choosing a coffee helper, a chore volunteer or one prize recipient | N winners; everyone else gets No prize |
| Split teams | Names + number of teams | Study groups, sports teams or presentation groups | Team sizes differ by at most 1 |
This tool chooses the assignments first, then draws a ladder that matches them. The order in which names are selected and the animation speed do not change an existing assignment. See the explanation below for the PRNG and statistical-test limits.
Ladder game guide: up to 100 participants and shared results
A ladder game, also known as ghost leg or amidakuji, matches names at the top to result labels at the bottom by following connected lines. Use it for lunch choices, seating, presentation order, chores or gift partners. Enter one name and one result per line, create the ladder, then select a name to follow its colored path. Result labels remain hidden as question marks until revealed. Reveal all opens the remaining results together, while Copy results creates a list you can paste into a group chat. The four-player preset starts a sample ladder without requiring you to fill every field first. Open the settings panel when you want your own names, result labels or another mode.
The tool handles 2-100 participants in one ladder. Larger groups keep usable column spacing and scroll horizontally instead of squeezing every name into the phone screen. Assignments are chosen before the connecting lines are drawn: a browser-generated 128-bit seed drives sfc32 and a Fisher-Yates shuffle, and the ladder realizes that permutation. This aims at even assignment, with the finite-seed and PRNG limits described below. Sharing stores the inputs and seed in a URL fragment, so the same URL replays the same assignment without a server record. The token is not encryption or a signature. Anyone who has it can read its labels or make an edited link, and the organizer can reroll. A link therefore helps everyone view the same inputs, but does not prove an independently witnessed first draw.
When this tool is needed
- Matching people to lunch choices, café orders or seats
- Choosing one or two volunteers for coffee, chores or the first presentation: use Prize draw
- Splitting a class, study group or gaming party into balanced teams
- Assigning a whole class or department of 20-100 people and sharing the result
Before you start
- Use the same number of names and results in ladder mode. A mismatch prevents creation.
- For a group decision, share the link just after creating the ladder and reveal results from that URL. Keep that exact link to distinguish it from a later reroll.
- Names are readable in the shared URL. Use nicknames or numbers and send it only to the intended recipients.
How to use
- Choose a mode: ladder matches use your result labels, Prize draw uses a winner count, and Split teams uses a team count.
- Enter one name per line or separate names with commas. Quick counts for 4, 6, 8, 10 or 20 participants fill numbered player labels.
- Enter one result per participant in ladder mode, or set the winner or team count for the other modes.
- Create the ladder, then select a name to follow its path and reveal the result. Reveal all opens the remaining paths together. Choose Normal, Fast or Instant animation.
- Copy the “name → result” list or copy a share link. Shuffle again creates a new seed and assignment.
Fairness: the ladder, permutation and PRNG limits
A few hand-drawn rungs can favor nearby destinations, and deliberate rung placement can steer a paper ladder. This tool instead chooses a target permutation first. crypto.getRandomValues supplies a 128-bit seed; sfc32 produces a deterministic sequence used by Fisher-Yates. Random upper rungs provide the initial structure, while adjacent swaps below correct the difference between that structure and the target permutation. Following any path therefore reaches the target assigned to that starting column. The selection order and animation speed do not alter that existing assignment. A finite seed and PRNG cannot establish exact equiprobability for every group size, and a distribution test is not a proof of it. Existing golden tests check paths for 2-30 participants over several seeds, prohibit neighboring rungs in one row, and compare 12,000 four-player assignments across 24 permutations using a 1% chi-square threshold. These are software checks, rather than certification of a public drawing.
What a shared link preserves
Copy share link appends a #l= token containing the seed, mode, names and result labels in base64url. The receiving browser decodes those inputs and regenerates the same permutation and ladder. The site does not store the assignment. Base64url is not encryption, and no signature verifies the original creator or first draw. A recipient can inspect the labels or construct a modified token; the organizer can also create new seeds until satisfied. Keep the exact link agreed by the group if you need to distinguish it from another draw. Names are readable to link holders, so prefer nicknames or numbers. Losing the link leaves no site-side recovery record. Shuffle again generates a fresh seed and removes the old URL token; copy a new link to share the new assignment. Shared result labels are preserved without translation, including when the language of the page changes.
Large groups and result lists
With more participants, the ladder grows sideways while keeping at least 44px column spacing. Swipe within the ladder on a phone to find names. Narrow labels may use ellipses, while the result list retains the full label accepted by the tool. Larger ladders reduce row spacing to limit height. Reveal all skips animation when more than 12 paths remain or Instant is selected. Copied results follow participant input order, not the order in which names were revealed. Team mode adds grouped member lists once everyone has been revealed. Keep in mind that each input label is limited to 20 Unicode code points, and names or results typed with commas are split into separate entries.
This is a casual tool for ordering, chores and group assignments. Use a separately verified process for public or money-related drawings.
Calculation basis and sources
- Calculation scope
- Match results to 2-100 participants with a random permutation realized by a ladder. Includes animation, share links and text copying. Draws and teams use the same engine with different result labels.
- Calculation method
- Seed: crypto.getRandomValues, 16 bytes (128 bits). Seed → deterministic sfc32 → Fisher-Yates permutation. Upper random rungs plus lower adjacent swaps realize the target; no neighboring rungs share a row. Existing tests: path equals permutation for 2-30 participants × 4 seeds; 12,000 four-player assignments over 24 permutations, chi-square below 42.3 (df 23, p≈0.01); share-token round trips.
- Limits and disclaimer
- Casual ordering tool. Finite seeds and a PRNG are used; statistical tests do not prove exact equiprobability for every size. Share tokens are neither encrypted nor signed and do not prevent edits or rerolls.
- Personal information processing
- Names and result labels are processed in the current browser without a site upload or storage. Share links carry the seed, mode and labels in their URL fragment.
🗓️ Source and wording reviewed 2026-09-17 · 🔁 Next review 2027-09-17
FAQ
Is this ladder fair? Does the starting position matter?
The tool chooses a random permutation first, then draws a ladder that realizes it. Starting position, clicking order and animation speed do not alter an assignment already created. A 128-bit seed from crypto.getRandomValues drives deterministic sfc32 and Fisher-Yates. The aim is even assignment, but the seed and PRNG are finite; statistical checks do not prove exact equiprobability for every size. Existing tests check 12,000 four-player assignments over 24 permutations and path consistency for several group sizes. This is not a verification system for official or money-related drawings.
Is there a participant limit? Can I use 30 or 50 names?
Use 2-100 participants in one ladder, including groups of 30 or 50. Large groups scroll horizontally while keeping column spacing at least 44px. Narrow name buttons may shorten the displayed text, but accepted names remain in the result list and copied text. Each label is limited to 20 Unicode code points.
Does a shared link show the same result? Does it contain names?
The same link inputs and seed recreate the same ladder and results. The #l= fragment contains the seed, mode, names and results in base64url. It is not encrypted or signed: link holders can read it or make a modified link. There is no server record or first-draw proof, and rerolls are not prevented. Prefer nicknames or numbers and share only with the intended recipients. The site cannot recover a lost link.
Can I reroll or manipulate the result?
Shuffle again generates a new seed and assignment. An existing ladder’s assignment is fixed before names are revealed; clicking order and animation speed do not change it. However, an organizer can reroll until satisfied, or edit the unsigned token to create another link. For a group decision, agree on an exact link before revealing results and use a separately verified process where independent proof matters.
How do Prize draw and Split teams differ from ladder matching?
All three modes use the same permutation engine. Ladder matching takes your result labels. Prize draw generates the chosen number of Winner labels and fills the rest with No prize. Split teams repeats numbered team labels so team sizes differ by at most 1. Results start hidden until names are selected, unless Show result labels is enabled.
Example inputs
| Example | Mode | Participants | Result items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch choices | Random ladder game | Alex, Sam, Jamie, Taylor | Pasta, Salad, Soup, Rice |
| Choose a coffee helper | Prize draw | Alex, Sam, Jamie, Taylor, Jordan | Winner, No prize, No prize, No prize, No prize |
| Make groups | Split teams | Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, Player 4, Player 5, Player 6 | Team 1, Team 2, Team 1, Team 2, Team 1, Team 2 |