Ladder Lottery (Ghost Leg)

About the ladder lottery

The ladder lottery is an old and simple way to decide something fairly. In Korea it is called 사다리타기 (sadari-tagi, "riding the ladder"). In Japan it is あみだくじ (amidakuji). In English it is also called ghost leg.

You write the names at the top and the results at the bottom. Straight lines run down between them, and short rungs join the lines across. Each name goes down its line. At every rung it crosses to the next line. Where it ends at the bottom is its result.

This tool draws the ladder for you. Type the names and the results, then click a name and watch its path run down. People use it to decide who does a chore, who gets which gift, who goes first, or how to split a group into two teams.

Features

• 2 to 12 players — names on top, results at the bottom
• Hidden results — each result stays under a "?" card until a path reaches it
• Animated paths — click a name and its path runs down the ladder in its own colour
• Reveal all — every path at once, plus a list of who gets what that you can copy
• Quick results — 1 winner + blanks, order 1 to N, or two teams, in one click
• Fair by design — every name has the same chance of every result
• 8 styles — Classic, Playful, Neon, Chalkboard, Notebook, Washi paper, Minimal and Print
• PNG and fullscreen — save the finished ladder, or show it on a TV or a projector

Eight styles

• Classic — clean lines and bright colours
• Playful — thick round lines and candy colours, for kids
• Neon — glowing paths on black, for game nights and streams
• Chalkboard — chalk lines on a green board in a wooden frame, for the classroom
• Notebook — a ladder drawn on lined paper, with yellow notes for the names
• Washi paper — black ink on cream paper with red covers, like a Japanese amidakuji
• Minimal — thin grey lines and coloured names, nothing else
• Print — black and white; each path has its own dash pattern, so it saves ink

The style only changes the look. The ladder and the results stay the same.

Is the ladder lottery fair?

Yes. A ladder can never give two names the same result. At every rung, two paths just swap lines, so each name always ends in a different place.

This tool also makes every result equally likely for every name. It draws the result first, with your browser's secure random numbers. Then it builds the rungs that lead each name to its drawn result. More random rungs are added at the top and at the bottom, so the ladder looks like one drawn by hand. Two rungs never meet the same line at the same height.

So with 5 names, each name has a 1 in 5 chance of each result. Press New ladder for a new draw.

Ideas

• Chores at home — who washes the dishes, takes out the trash or walks the dog
• Gifts — who gets which present at a party or a gift exchange
• Turn order — who goes first in a game, a class talk or a meeting
• Two teams — split a group into Team A and Team B
• Seats and tasks — who sits where, who does which part of a project
• Classroom — pick helpers or the order of talks, and show it on the board in fullscreen

Frequently asked questions

What is a ladder lottery?

It is a game for a fair random choice. Names stand at the top of some lines, results at the bottom. Short rungs join the lines. You follow a name down, and you cross over at every rung you meet. The place where you end is your result.

How do you play amidakuji (あみだくじ)?

In Japan, the names and the gifts or tasks are written on paper, and the bottom is folded so nobody can see it. Everyone adds a few lines across. Then each person follows their line down. This tool does the same: the results are hidden, the rungs are random, and you click a name to follow it.

What is 사다리타기 (sadari-tagi)?

It is the Korean name of the same game. It means "riding the ladder". Friends and co-workers in Korea use it to decide who goes out for snacks or who does a task. 사다리 게임 (ladder game) is another name for it.

Is it really random?

Yes. The result is drawn first with crypto.getRandomValues, your browser's secure random numbers. Every name has the same chance of every result. The rungs are then built to match that draw.

Can I show the results from the start?

Yes. Open Advanced options and untick Hide the results until they are revealed. The results then show at the bottom, and the paths still run when you click a name.

How many players can I use?

From 2 to 12. With many players on a phone, the names on the ladder turn on their side. The full names are in the list under the ladder.

Can I save or share the ladder?

Yes. Press Download PNG to save a picture of the ladder with the paths you have revealed. Press Copy the results to paste "Mia → Dishes" lines into a chat.

Good to know

• Your names, results and style are remembered in this browser. The ladder itself is new each time you open the page
• An empty name shows as "Player 1", "Player 2" and so on. An empty result shows as a dash
• Click a name again to replay its path
• The PNG shows the ladder as it is now: the revealed paths, and the "?" cards on results that are still hidden
• Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere

Related tools

• Spin the Wheel — pick one random name with a spinning wheel
• Team Generator — split a long list into many random teams
• Secret Santa Generator — draw names for a gift exchange
• Chore Chart Maker — a weekly chore chart to print
• Coin Flip — heads or tails for two choices
• Dice Roller — roll dice on the screen
• Tournament Bracket Maker — a knockout bracket for a game day

How to use it

• Set the number of players with − and + (2 to 12)
• Type the names. They go on top of the ladder
• Type the results, or press a quick button: 1 winner + blanks, Order 1 to N or Two teams
• Pick a style
• Click a name on the ladder (or in the list) and watch its path run down to its result
• Press Reveal all to show every path at once, or New ladder for a new draw
• Press Download PNG to save the finished ladder, or Fullscreen to show it on a TV