Coffee & lunch runs
Deciding who buys the coffee or covers lunch today. It's fairer than rock-paper-scissors, and because everyone watches the result unfold, no one grumbles about it later.
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Ladder Game
Decide fair orders for your group. Who buys coffee? Who picks first?
5
Player name
Outcome
Shuffles the outcome positions once more so no one can predict the result in advance
When the Ladder Game comes in handy
From a simple bet to an awkward turn order, one round of the ladder settles it cleanly—no arguments afterward.
Chores & duties
Splitting up the dishes, recycling, or note-taking—the jobs no one volunteers for. Just enter the names and the duties, and it pairs them up at random.
Presentation & game order
Speaking order, karaoke turns, who goes first in a board game. When you need a full 1st-to-last ranking, switch to 'Ranking' mode to sort it all at once.
Making teams or groups
Picking sides or forming groups. Put the team names in the outcome slots and players get assigned to teams automatically.
Gift & prize exchanges
Secret Santa, ladder gifts, prize draws—any time you need to decide who gets what. Keep the outcomes hidden and reveal them one at a time to double the suspense.
How to play
What is the Ladder Game?
The Ladder Game is a classic method for fairly deciding outcomes: who buys coffee, who picks first, who does the chore. You write participant names at the top and outcomes at the bottom, then follow a random ladder of vertical lines and horizontal rungs to determine each person's result. It's simple, fair, and fun—whether you're drawing lots for a team project, deciding chore order, or just having a good laugh.
How to play
Start by selecting the number of players. Then enter each player's name and the possible outcomes (e.g., names vs. prizes or chores). If you leave outcomes blank, the game fills them in automatically. Click 'Build ladder' to generate a random ladder. The ladder is built fairly using computer randomness, ensuring every player has an equal 1/N chance of any outcome. Click on a player's name to reveal their result by tracing the path, or use 'Reveal all' to show everyone at once. You can reshuffle for a new ladder or reset to change players and outcomes.
Handy features
Turn on 'Shuffle results' and the outcome slots are randomized so no one can predict the result in advance. Raise the 'Tension' and the ladder draws more horizontal rungs for a denser, more suspenseful trace—without changing fairness or the final result at all. 'Auto-suggest names' fills the board with fruit emoji and names for a quick start, while sound and confetti add to the fun of each reveal. Download the finished result as an image to share straight to a group chat. You can also play entirely by keyboard—number keys reveal a player, A reveals everyone, and R reshuffles.
When to use it
Deciding who buys the coffee among friends, fairly splitting presentation or role order in a team project, drawing who gets a penalty at a gathering, or randomly assigning prizes or seats. Because the result is traced by a visible line, everyone can see it's fair.
Tips
Enter the players and outcomes, build the ladder, then tap a name to follow its path down. 'Shuffle outcomes' randomizes where each result sits to make it harder to predict, and raising the tension adds more rungs for extra suspense. You can save the result as an image to share.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ladder game really fair?
Yes, absolutely. This digital ladder uses proven fair randomness—every player gets exactly 1/N probability of any outcome, regardless of starting position. Hand-drawn ladders often favor the center (a phenomenon called the 'ugly truth' in Korean), but this version eliminates that bias entirely.
How many players can play?
You can play with 2 to 10 players.
Does starting position matter?
No. Your result is completely independent of where you start. Enabling 'Hide results' before building the ladder makes it even more fair and prevents anyone from gaming the system.
Can I reshuffle the ladder?
Yes. Once all results are revealed, click 'Reshuffle' to generate a brand new ladder while keeping all the player names and outcomes.
Can I share the results?
Of course. Use the 'Copy results' button to copy the outcome mapping as text, then paste it into a message or email to share with your group.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. The Ladder Game runs right in your mobile browser with nothing to install. If you have many players and the board gets wide, just scroll it left and right to see the whole ladder.
Are the names I type saved anywhere?
No. The player names and outcomes you enter are used only inside your browser and are never sent or stored anywhere. Refreshing the page clears them all, so you can use it without any privacy concerns.
Can I turn off the sound or animation?
Yes. Use 'Sound off' on the results panel to mute the effects. And if you enable 'reduce motion' in your device settings, the ladder-tracing animation and confetti are automatically minimized.
Can I share the result as an image?
Yes. Tap 'Download result' to save an image file showing every player and their outcome at a glance. Post it straight to a group chat or social media to share.