๐ช Amidakuji Lottery
Generate a random amidakuji (ghost-leg lottery) ladder for 2 to 8 participants โ a classic Japanese way to randomly assign outcomes, prizes, or turns. Set your participant labels, generate a ladder, and click a name at the top to trace its path to the bottom.
How to use
- Choose the number of participants (2-8) and enter each one's label.
- Click "Generate" to create the ladder.
- Click a name at the top to trace its path to the bottom and reveal the result.
How the calculation works
This tool makes an amidakuji (ghost leg) lottery for 2 to 8 people and traces each path from a name at the top to a result at the bottom. You can edit the labels (names, prizes and so on) at both ends. Rungs are placed at random between neighbouring lines on each level (about a 35% chance at each spot, over 14 levels). No two rungs share an end point, so every person always reaches a different result: a one-to-one match. Press a name at the top to highlight that personโs path.
Worked example
Assigning cleaning duties among four people Top: A, B, C, D Bottom: toilet, floor, windows, day off Press Generate to draw the rungs and decide where each of the four ends up.
Things to be aware of
- Not every outcome is equally likely with amidakuji. With few rungs, paths tend to end straight below or one line over.
- For extra fairness, generate the ladder first and let people choose their starting spot afterwards.
- For a fully random assignment, use the Team Generator or Random Picker.
FAQ
How many participants can I add?
You can set anywhere from 2 to 8 participants, each with an editable label.
Is every outcome equally likely and unique?
Yes โ the ladder always produces a valid one-to-one mapping, so every participant ends up at exactly one distinct result.
Is this useful for deciding turn order?
Yes โ enter participant names and assign order numbers to the results for a fair way to decide turn order.
Can I use this to assign prizes or forfeits?
Yes โ label the results with prize names or forfeit tasks to use it as a lottery at a party or event.
Can I regenerate a new ladder with the same participants?
Yes โ click "Generate" again to create a fresh random ladder with the same number of participants.