🪄 Generators

Amidakuji (Ghost Leg Lottery)

Enter players and prizes or roles, one per line, and build a ladder lottery on the spot. Click a name to trace its line with an animation and reveal only that player's result — or show everyone at once, and redraw the rungs with one click. Everything runs in your browser.

Fewer results than players are padded with "—"; extra ones are ignored.

Enter players and results, then press "Build the ladder"

How to use

Type the players' names on the left (one per line, 2–12 people) and the results — prizes, roles, turn order — on the right, then press "Build the ladder". Vertical lines and random rungs are drawn, with the results hidden behind "?" at the bottom. Click a name at the top to highlight that player's path and open only their result. "Reveal all results" shows the full mapping at once, and "Redraw" replaces just the rungs.

What is Amidakuji?

Amidakuji (あみだくじ), also known as "ghost leg" or a ladder lottery, is how Japan traditionally draws lots: one vertical line per player, random horizontal rungs between neighboring lines, and a hidden result at the bottom of each line. Starting from your name you walk downward, and every time you meet a rung you must cross it to the neighboring line. Because each rung simply swaps two adjacent lines, every player is guaranteed to reach a different result — it is a fair, one-to-one assignment. In Japanese schools and offices it is the go-to way to assign chores, decide who goes first, or raffle off a prize, and the fun is in revealing the paths one by one.

Examples

  • Chore duty → four names as players and "Dishes / Trash / Vacuum / Groceries" as results
  • Prize draw → six players and a single "🎯Winner" line; the rest is padded with "—" (blank)
  • Turn order → results "1st / 2nd / 3rd..." to decide presentation or play order fairly

FAQ

Is my data sent to a server?
No. The ladder is generated and traced entirely in your browser; names and results are never transmitted or stored externally.
Can two people end up with the same result?
No. Each horizontal rung simply swaps two adjacent vertical lines, so the mapping from players to results is always one-to-one — mathematically, a permutation.
How are the rungs placed?
Rungs are placed randomly on each level. Following the standard rule, two rungs never sit side by side at the same height, so a path is never ambiguous. Press Redraw to place them again.
What if there are fewer or more results than players?
If there are fewer results, the remaining goals are filled with a dash (a blank); if there are more, only the first ones up to the number of players are used.
How many players are supported?
From 2 to 12 players. For a larger group, split it into two rounds or use the Random Picker tool.