About Random 42
Random tools for everyday decisions
Random 42 helps you pick names, make groups, assign tasks, set an order, draw winners, and roll dice. Choose the tool that fits your task and get a result without creating an account.
Random choices are simple, but the situation around them matters. A teacher may want to avoid recent pairings, while an event organizer may need to draw several winners. Random 42 provides tools designed for these specific jobs.
Why Random 42 exists
A general randomizer can pick an item from a list. Many real tasks need more than that. You may need balanced groups, an ordered list, several unique winners, or rules that keep certain people together or apart. Random 42 gives each task its own controls, instructions, and result.
The name comes from ASCII, where the decimal value 42 represents the asterisk (*), the symbol used throughout the site.
What to expect
A tool for each task
Choose a tool based on what you need to do, such as picking one name, making groups, assigning tasks, or drawing winners.
Relevant settings
Each tool includes the options that matter for its purpose, with examples and instructions close at hand.
Results you can review
The tool shows the full result and explains important limits so you can check it before putting it into use.
No account required
Open a tool and start using it without signing up. Random 42 does not save the names, choices, settings, or results you enter into a tool.
Find a tool for your situation
Browse all tools or start with a collection for education, work, events, family decisions, or games.
Before using a result
- Check that your list includes the right entries.
- Confirm the settings and rules you selected.
- Review the result for missing or repeated entries.
- Consider any personal or practical details the tool cannot know.
- Run the tool again only when the rules of your activity allow it.
Learn more
Read the guides for practical advice on grouping and preparing lists, or review the privacy notice for information about how Random 42 handles data.