Who pays for lunch, who cleans up, who goes first โ a ladder lottery (ghost leg / Amidakuji) with a shareable result link
Why the link shows the same result
The ladder is drawn from a random seed picked when it's created. The share link carries the players, the outcomes and that seed, so anyone who opens it sees exactly the same ladder โ nobody can claim you rigged it in private. Change the seed by shuffling and you get a fresh ladder and a new link.
Is it fair?
Rungs are placed at random, then adjusted so every pair of neighbouring lines is connected at least once, which stops any starting position from being favoured. If there are fewer outcomes than players, the rest are filled with "Nothing".
Ways to use it
Enter outcomes like "Buys coffee, Nothing, Nothing, Nothing" to pick one person, or "1st, 2nd, 3rdโฆ" to decide an order. It works for random picker duty rosters, deciding who goes first in a game, or splitting chores โ no sign-up, nothing stored on a server.
How to use it
- Enter 2 to 10 player names in the first box, separated by commas or line breaks. Fill example drops in five names and four outcomes if you want to see it work first.
- Enter the outcomes in the second box. Fewer outcomes than players? The rest become "Nothing". More? Only the first ones, up to the number of players, are used.
- Press START. The ladder appears with names along the top and question marks hiding the outcomes along the bottom.
- Tap a name at the top. A line in that player's colour rides down the ladder for about a second and a half, then a notice reads "name โ outcome" and the outcome at the bottom is revealed. Reveal one at a time, or press Reveal all.
- Shuffle redraws a new ladder for the same players and outcomes. Share sends the result link; Home returns to the input form.
How the ladder is built
| Vertical lines | One per player, 2 to 10 |
|---|---|
| Rows of rungs | 6 + 2 ร players, capped at 16: 10 rows for two players, 12 for three, 14 for four, 16 for five or more |
| Rung placement | Each slot gets a rung with 42% probability, but never two rungs side by side in the same row, so there is never an ambiguous crossing |
| Correction | If two neighbouring lines end up with no rung between them at all, one is added, so every player has a way across to the next lane |
| Descent rule | Hit a rung, cross it; otherwise go straight down โ the same rule as a paper ladder |
| Assignment | By construction every player ends on a different outcome. Two players can never land on the same one |
Seed and links
When you press START a random integer is drawn as the seed, and the seed plus the player count fully determine the ladder's shape. The same seed always gives the same ladder, wherever it is opened. Once you are on the ladder screen the address bar shows ?n=players&r=outcomes&s=seed; copying that address works as a link too, and the ladder survives a refresh or the back button.
The Share button does something a little different: it links to a result page rather than the app, so the recipient sees the whole ladder with every path drawn and a list of "name โ outcome". An "Open the ladder" button on that page opens the same ladder in the app to ride it personally. Long links are shortened automatically before sharing; on a phone the system share sheet opens, on a desktop the link is copied. Your player and outcome lists are remembered in this browser for next time, and nothing is stored on a server.
Frequently asked questions
Names are cut off
The pills at the top and bottom show up to five characters and then โฆ, so they never overlap on a narrow screen. The arrival notice and the share page list show the full names.
What if I enter more outcomes than players?
Only the first ones are used, as many as there are players; the rest are dropped. With too few, the gaps are filled with "Nothing", so put the outcomes you care about first.
Can I see all the results at once?
Press Reveal all on the ladder screen. The share page is fully revealed from the start, so if you want to keep the suspense, copy the app address from the address bar instead and let everyone tap their own name โ the seed is the same, so the results match.
Can I have more than 10 players?
No, the limit is 10. Split a larger group into two rounds, or if you only need to pick one person, Spin the Wheel takes up to 50 options.
The same person keeps getting "Nothing"
Rungs are placed at random from the seed and corrected so no lane is ever left unconnected from its neighbour. A new seed is drawn for every ladder, so previous rounds have no bearing โ a streak is just chance. If in doubt, press Shuffle for a fresh ladder.
Related tools
- Spin the Wheel โ when you only need to pick one option or one person, with a shareable wheel link
- Secret Santa Generator (No Email) โ draw who gives to whom for a gift exchange
- The Answer Book โ Ask, Then Open โ ask before you decide what to put at stake