About the Ladder Game
The ladder game, known in Japan as Amidakuji and elsewhere as ghost leg, is a simple way to share out tasks, prizes or turns in a group. Everyone picks a line at the top, and following the line down, turning at every rung, leads each person to one result at the bottom.
Type up to 10 names and as many results – who buys coffee, who presents first, who gets which seat – and press a name to watch its way down. The results stay covered until someone reaches them, or until you show them all at once.
A ladder drawn at random is not quite fair: people tend to end up near where they started. This tool draws the result first, with a fair shuffle in which every way of sharing out the results is equally likely, and then builds a ladder that leads there, with extra rungs so it looks like any other ladder. The randomness comes from your browser’s secure random number generator, and nothing you type leaves your device.
How to use it
- Choose the number of players with the − and + buttons (2 to 10).
- Type the names. A name left empty is shown as its number.
- Type the results. The first one starts as "Win" and the others as "Lose"; change them to whatever you are deciding.
- Press a name above the ladder to follow its way down. Its result is uncovered when the line arrives.
- Press "Show all results" to see everyone at once, or "New ladder" to draw again with the same names and results.
Features
- Fair by design: The result is drawn first with a fair shuffle, so every person has the same chance of every result, whatever the ladder looks like.
- Covered results: Results stay hidden under a question mark until a line reaches them, which keeps the suspense for the whole group.
- Animated paths: Each person’s way down is drawn in its own color, so you can follow it and see the turns.
- Up to 10 players: Any number from 2 to 10, with names and results of up to 20 characters.
- Private: Everything happens in your browser. Names and results are not uploaded or stored.
Examples
Who buys the coffee
Four friends type their names, put "Buys coffee" in one result and "Free" in the others, and press their names one by one.
Order of presentations
A class enters "1st", "2nd", "3rd" … as results to decide who presents when.
Sharing out chores
Housemates enter the chores of the week as results and let the ladder decide who does which.
Limitations and notes
- At most 10 players fit on one ladder, so it stays readable on a phone.
- Each result goes to exactly one person. To give the same result to several people, type it in several result fields.
- The ladder is not saved: reloading the page draws a new one.
- On a narrow screen long names are shortened above the ladder; the full name appears in the list of all results.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ladder game really fair?
Yes. The result is drawn first with a fair shuffle, so every way of sharing out the results is equally likely. The rungs are then placed so the ladder leads to that result.
Why not just draw random rungs?
With randomly drawn rungs, people are more likely to end near the line they started on, so some results are more likely for some players. Drawing the result first avoids that.
Can I see where everyone ends up at once?
Yes. Press "Show all results" to uncover all results and see a list of every name with its result.
Can I play again with the same names?
Yes. Press "New ladder" to draw a new ladder and a new result with the same names and results.
Are the names sent anywhere?
No. The ladder is made in your browser and nothing you type is uploaded or stored.