Ladder Game

How to play the ladder game

A ladder lottery, known in Japan as Amidakuji and elsewhere as Ghost Leg, is a way to draw lots with a picture. Each player starts at the top of a vertical line and walks down. Whenever a horizontal rung joins your line, you must cross it to the neighbouring line, and wherever you reach the bottom is your result. It is a fun, visible way to decide who pays for coffee, who does the dishes or who goes first.

This ladder game is free, with nothing to install and no sign-up. It works in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer.

1. Press Edit names and choose how many are playing, anywhere from 2 to 12.
2. Type the players' names in the top boxes and the results in the bottom boxes. Empty boxes fall back to defaults like "P1", "Winner" and "No luck".
3. Press Make the ladder to draw a fresh ladder.
4. Tap a name at the top. Its path lights up in that player's color and winds down the ladder, and the result opens when it reaches the bottom.
5. Reveal players one at a time for suspense, or press Reveal all to trace everyone at once.

Hidden results and quick fill

With Hide results until revealed switched on, every result is covered by a question-mark card that only flips open when a path lands on it, so nobody knows which line to hope for. Switch it off if you would rather see the prizes while you trace.

To skip typing, use the quick fill buttons:

• One winner: one "Winner", everyone else "No luck".
• One pays: one "Pays", everyone else "Free". Handy for coffee runs and lunch bills.
• Turn order: "1st", "2nd", "3rd" and so on, for speaking order or game turns.
• Reset: clears every name and result back to the defaults.

The player count, names, results and the hide setting are saved in this browser, so your usual group is ready the next time you visit.

Is the ladder fair?

A hand-drawn ladder usually is not. With only a few rungs, players tend to land close to the column they started on, because reaching the far side takes many crossings in a row.

This ladder is built to avoid that. It first draws random rungs so every pair of neighbouring lines is joined at least once, then adds rows of alternating rungs underneath that make the final pairing completely random. Whatever the number of players and wherever you start, you have exactly the same chance of reaching each result. No two rungs ever touch the same line at the same height, so there is never a point where the path could go two ways.

Every player also ends on a different result. The rules of the ladder make it impossible for two paths to meet at the same place.

Ideas for using it

• Who pays: put "Pays" in one slot and "Free" in the rest.
• Chores and duties: write "Dishes", "Trash" and "Vacuum" as results.
• Turn order: for presentations, karaoke or board games.
• Gift swaps and prize draws: list the gifts as results and everyone gets one.

Once results are in, a table below the ladder lists who got what, and the Share results button sends it to a group chat. When everyone is watching one screen, the fullscreen button makes the ladder as large as the display allows.

Where the ladder lottery comes from

In Japan the game is called Amidakuji. The name is said to come from its original form, with lines radiating out from the centre like the halo behind Amida Buddha. In Chinese-speaking regions it is called Ghost Leg (鬼脚图), and in Korea it is simply "ladder riding" (사다리 타기), a staple of classrooms and office outings alike.

More games on this site

For something to play while you wait, try the Number Guessing Game or the Apple Game. To settle who has the fastest reflexes, take the Reaction Time Test.

Ladder Game FAQ

Is this ladder game free? Do I need an app?

It's free, with nothing to install and no sign-up. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer.

How many players can join?

From 2 to 12. Use the + and − buttons on the Edit names screen. Even with 12 players the whole ladder fits on a phone screen; long names are shortened with an ellipsis, and the results table below shows them in full.

Is the online ladder lottery really fair?

Yes. Every ladder is generated at random, and it is built so that each starting position has exactly the same chance of reaching each result. It doesn't have the bias of a sparse hand-drawn ladder, where players tend to land near where they started. A ladder never changes until you ask for a new one.

Can I hide the results until the end?

Yes. With 'Hide results until revealed' on (the default), every result sits under a question-mark card that only opens when a path lands on it.

Can two players end up with the same result?

No. Two paths can never reach the same slot, so each player gets a different result. To give the same outcome to several players, type the same text in several result boxes.

How do I use it to decide who pays or who goes first?

On the Edit names screen, press 'One pays' or 'Turn order' under Quick fill and the results are filled in for you. You can still edit any box by hand.

Will my names still be there next time?

Yes. The player count, names, results and hide setting are saved in this browser. A private window or another device starts from the defaults, and clearing this site's data removes them.

Can I send the results to a group chat?

As soon as one result is revealed, a results table and a 'Share results' button appear under the ladder. On phones it opens the share sheet; on computers it copies the results and the link.

How do I turn the sound off?

Press the speaker button under the ladder. The choice is saved for your next visit.