Team maker and random name picker

How to use it

1. Type or paste the names, one on each line. Commas work too.
2. Enter the number of teams you want.
3. Tap "Make teams". If the numbers do not divide equally, the extra players are spread across teams, so no team is more than one player larger than another.
4. Not happy with the mix? Tap again for a fresh shuffle. Agree beforehand how many shuffles are allowed; one is the fairest answer.

Why random teams are kinder

When two captains pick teams, somebody is always chosen last, and that child or colleague remembers it long after the game is forgotten. A random draw has no last pick. It also breaks up the usual gangs, so that cousins who never talk and colleagues from different departments end up on the same side, which is often the real purpose of a party game or an office activity.

Making random teams fair

Pure chance can put all the strong players on one side. For a quiz or a sports match, there is a simple fix: make the teams in two rounds. First enter only the experienced players and split them; then enter the others and split them the same way; then join the first halves and the second halves. For games with children of very different ages, do the same with "older" and "younger" lists.

Other ways to use it

Use "Pick one name" to decide who hosts the next game, who is the den, who brings the snacks or who speaks first in a meeting. Use "Playing order" for turn-based games such as Dumb Charades, Two Truths and a Lie or Antakshari, and for deciding the order of performances at a family function.

When it helps

• Fair teams for antakshari, dumb charades, a quiz or a cricket match, without the "captains choose" drama.
• Who goes first, who is the den, or who hosts the next game: tap "Pick one name".
• Turn order for games where everyone plays once: tap "Playing order".

The names stay in your browser so you can reuse them next time. They are not sent to us. Looking for a game? See all games.