How to pick a random name
- Paste your names into the box, one per line or separated by commas. You can add up to 300.
- Choose a race length. Quick takes about 8 seconds, Normal about 14, and Epic about 22.
- Press Start. Every name gets its own racer, and the first one out of the maze wins.
After the race you can run it again on a new maze, or remove the winner and race everyone else. That second button is handy when you're drawing several prizes one at a time. Your list stays saved in this browser for next time.
Is it really random?
Yes. Every racer follows the same rule in the same maze. At each fork it takes a random path it hasn't tried yet, and it backs up when it hits a dead end. Each racer gets its own random choices from your browser's secure random number generator, so it doesn't matter where a name sits in your list. If two racers reach the exit on the same step, a coin flip settles it and the result says PHOTO FINISH.
We checked this with thousands of simulated races at different list sizes, and every name won about as often as every other name. Here's how we tested it.
Why a race instead of a wheel?
A wheel spins for a few seconds and stops. A race has lead changes, a final stretch in slow motion, and a room full of people cheering for a tiny pixel square. It plays well on a classroom projector, a stream, or a shared screen on a video call.
And because racers finish in order, the same race can do more than pick one name. It can split a group into teams, set a turn order, or decide who pays for lunch.
Ways people use it
- Classrooms. Call on a student, pick a line leader, or choose who reads next. Paste the class list once and it's still there tomorrow.
- Giveaways and door prizes. Need more than one winner? The giveaway race draws up to 10 at once.
- Streams and meetings. Pick a viewer for a shout-out, or decide who runs the next meeting.
- Extra chances. List a name twice and it gets two racers. Useful when someone earned a bonus entry.