🔄 Game Night Player Rotation Generator
Enter your players' names (comma-separated) to generate a round-robin schedule where everyone plays everyone else.
How the schedule is built
The names are split on commas, trimmed, and any blanks dropped. The first player then stays put while the rest rotate one seat each round - the circle method - which pairs everyone with everyone exactly once:
rounds = players - 1 if even, players if odd
tables per round = players / 2, rounded down
total games = players × (players - 1) / 2The five default names give 5 rounds of 2 tables, which is 10 games, and 5 × 4 / 2 is indeed 10. Eight players give 7 rounds of 4 tables: 28 games, in the same seven sittings, because the tables run at the same time.
Running it on the night
- Odd groups get a rest, not an extra round. A phantom player is added, and whoever draws it that round sits out. Their pairing is hidden rather than printed as a bye, so a round can show one table fewer.
- Names are taken literally. Two people both entered as Sam count as two players, and the schedule will read "Sam vs Sam" when they meet. Use initials or nicknames to tell them apart.
- Rounds are the unit of time. With enough boards, the whole thing takes rounds × game length, not total games × game length.
Frequently asked questions
How many rounds are in a round robin with 8 players?
Seven. Each round runs four games at once, so 28 matches fit into seven sittings and every pair meets exactly once.
How does a round robin work with an odd number of players?
One person sits out each round and the count of rounds equals the number of players - five players means five rounds, with each of them resting once. The rest is unavoidable: an odd group cannot be fully paired.
How long does a round robin take?
Count rounds, not games. Six players at 25 minutes a game is 5 rounds, so about two hours and 5 minutes if all three tables play together, against more than six hours if you run the 15 games one after another.