Match 2 to 20 players to results with a ladder lottery. Choose how many winners, hide the lines until the reveal, paste a list of names, or draw lines yourself.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. What you enter is never sent anywhere.Your input is never sent anywhere.
DetailsPlayers
2–20Fill the results row
Players
5
Revealed
0 / 5
TIP
Press the arrow under a player to trace that player's path. With "Hide lines" on, the ladder stays covered like a folded paper version until everyone has gone.
What Is Ghost Leg (Amidakuji)?
Ghost leg, called amidakuji in Japan, is a lottery drawn as a ladder. Each player starts at the top of a vertical line and follows it down. Whenever the path meets a horizontal line, it crosses to the neighboring vertical line and keeps going down. The result at the bottom is the one you get.
Because each horizontal line only swaps two neighbors, every player ends up at a different result. That makes it a good fit for matching people to turn order, chores, or prizes: nobody can be given two results, and no result is left over.
This generator lets you set the player count, names, and results, choose how many players are "chosen", cover the lines until the reveal, and add lines by hand. Everything runs in your browser.
Ways to Use It: Turn Order, Chores, Prizes
Presentation order and turn order
Use the 1st, 2nd, 3rd button to settle who presents first, who plays first, or who picks a seat first, with no argument about the method.
Who pays, hosts, or drives
Set one player as chosen and the rest as not chosen. The group sees the path play out, so the pick feels fair to everyone.
Chores and penalties for several people
Raise "Number chosen" to pick two or three people at once, such as 3 of 10 for cleanup duty or a game-night forfeit.
Raffle prizes and group assignments
Paste prize names, team names, or roles into the results row and give each player one. Works for up to 20 players.
How to Use It in 5 Steps
- Set the number of players from 2 to 20, or paste a list of names and let the count adjust.
- Edit the names in the top row and the results in the bottom row. Use the buttons to fill the results with numbers, turn order, chosen or not chosen, or prizes.
- Leave "Hide lines" on to keep the ladder covered, or press "Draw your own lines" to add lines yourself.
- Press the arrow under each player to trace that player's path down to a result.
- Press "Redraw ladder" for a new ladder with the same names and results, or "Copy results" once everyone is revealed.
Note: Have everyone watch the same screen and reveal one player at a time. Once all players are revealed, you can copy the full list.
Good to Know Before You Start
- Redrawing the ladder keeps your names and results and builds a new set of lines.
- Editing a result clears any paths already shown. Editing a name does not.
- Names and results are cut off at 14 characters each.
- The tool does not stop a player from landing on their own name, so it is not a Secret Santa matcher. Use it to assign prizes, roles, or turn order.
- Names and results stay in your browser and are not sent to a server.
Suggested Setups by Use Case
What to put in the results row and how many winners to set for common situations.
| Use case | Results row | Number chosen | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turn order | 1st, 2nd, 3rd… (preset) | — | 2–20 |
| Who pays or hosts | Chosen / Not chosen | 1 | 2–20 |
| Chores and penalties | Chosen / Not chosen | 2 or more | 3–20 |
| Prize draw | Prize names (paste a list) | — | 2–20 |
The results row has four presets: numbers, turn order, chosen or not chosen, and prizes. You can edit any result afterward.
How the Ladder Lottery Works and Why It Is Fair
A short look at the rules behind the lottery, and how this version differs from drawing one on paper.
One path per player, one player per result
Each horizontal line swaps two neighboring paths. Because paths only swap and never merge, no two players can end at the same result, however many lines the ladder has. In math terms, a ghost leg rearranges the players into a new order.
Why this version stays fair
If you draw only a few lines by hand, players tend to land near where they started. This tool avoids that by picking a random final arrangement first and then building the lines to produce it, so each player is equally likely to land on each result. The visible lines near the top are random extras that do not change the outcome.
Names around the world
The same lottery is known as amidakuji in Japan, sadaritagi ("ladder climbing") in Korea, and guijiaotu ("ghost leg diagram") in China. The English name ghost leg comes from the Chinese one.
Tips for big groups and video calls
For a long list, paste names one per line instead of typing each one. On a video call, share your screen, reveal one player at a time, and use "Copy results" to post the final list in the chat.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
A result is edited after paths were revealed
Changing any result clears the paths already shown, so players who went earlier have to go again.
💡 See the solution▼
Someone sees the lines too early
If the lines are visible, a player can trace their own path before the reveal.
💡 See the solution▼
Several winners are needed but only one is picked
Typing each result by hand is slow and it is easy to miscount the winners.
💡 See the solution▼
A long list takes too long to type
Entering 15 names one box at a time slows the group down.
💡 See the solution▼
A player lands on their own name
When the results row contains people's names, nothing stops a player from ending on their own.
💡 See the solution▼
FAQ: Fairness, Hidden Lines, and Privacy
Q.Are ghost leg, amidakuji, and ladder lottery the same thing?
A. Yes. They are different names for the same game. Ghost leg is the common English name, amidakuji is the Japanese name, and ladder lottery or ladder game is how it is often described in English. In Korea it is called sadaritagi ("ladder climbing"), and in China guijiaotu ("ghost leg diagram").
Q.How many players can I add?
A. From 2 to 20. With more than 8 players the ladder gets wider than a phone screen, so you can scroll it sideways. When you change the player count, the ladder is redrawn and the names and results you already typed are kept.
Q.Is the result random and fair?
A. Each time the ladder is drawn, the tool first picks a random final arrangement for all players with a shuffle, then builds the horizontal lines so the paths end in that arrangement. Every player is equally likely to land on every result. The shuffle uses the browser's secure random number generator when it is available. If you draw your own lines, the result follows your layout instead.
Q.How do I pick who goes first, second, and third?
A. Press the "1st, 2nd, 3rd" button in the results row. It fills the results with 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on, so each player's path ends at a turn order. Use it for presentation order, game turns, or who picks first.
Q.Can I choose more than one winner?
A. Yes. Set "Number chosen" to any value from 1 up to one less than the player count, then press "Chosen / Not". That many results are labeled "Chosen" at random positions, and the rest are labeled "Not chosen". You can retype the labels, for example "Pays" and "Free".
Q.Can I paste a list of names?
A. Yes. Open "Paste a list of names or results", choose names or results, and paste one entry per line or separated by commas, semicolons, or tabs. The player count changes to match, up to 20. Entries are cut off at 14 characters.
Q.How do I hide the lines like a paper ladder?
A. Turn on "Hide lines" (it is on by default). The horizontal lines stay covered, and pressing a player's arrow shows only that player's path. The full ladder appears once every player has been revealed.
Q.Can I add my own lines?
A. Yes. Press "Draw your own lines", then tap between two vertical lines to add or remove a horizontal line. Two lines cannot touch on the same row. This lets a group take turns adding one line each, as in the paper version.
Q.When are the results shown?
A. Results stay hidden until you press a player's arrow, which animates that player's path down to a result. "Reveal all" runs the remaining players one after another. Editing a result clears any paths already shown.
Q.Is my data sent anywhere?
A. The names and results you enter are used only inside your browser. The tool does not send them to a server, and they are gone when you close or reload the page.
Q.Does it work on a phone or in a video call?
A. Yes. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet, or computer with no sign-up or install. On a video call, share your screen and press each arrow in turn, or use "Copy results" to paste the list into the chat.
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