What is the decision tournament?
It's the easiest way to decide when you have too many options: instead of comparing them all at once (impossible), the tournament faces them off two at a time. In each duel you tap the one you prefer; the other is eliminated. Round by round, the list trims itself down to a single winner: your decision.
The trick is psychological: choosing between fifteen movies blocks anyone, but choosing between two is dead easy. The tournament turns an impossible decision into a chain of easy ones.
When to use it?
- What movie or show to watch: throw in the candidates and let them duel it out.
- Where to eat: fifteen restaurants enter, one leaves.
- Picking a name: for the team, the pet or the project — every name defends its spot.
- Purchases and gifts: between several models or ideas, let them compete.
- With a group: pass the phone around and vote each duel by show of hands.
How does it work?
The options are shuffled at random (so the order you typed them in doesn't matter) and paired up. If the count isn't a power of 2, some skip round one via a bye, also drawn at random. You only do the easy part: choose between two, as many times as needed. With 16 options, for example, you settle the winner in just 15 one-second duels.
Your options never leave your browser: nothing is sent to any server.
Frequently asked questions
Why does it work so well?
Because comparing many options at once overwhelms, while comparing two is instant. The one that survives every duel is your real preference, revealed duel by duel.
Are the pairings random?
Yes, the options are shuffled at random before pairing.
How many options can I face off?
From 3 to 32. With a count that isn't a power of 2, some options skip round one via a bye, chosen at random.
What if I can't decide a duel?
If you genuinely don't care, that's exactly when you can leave it to luck: flip a coin and carry on with the tournament.
Are my options stored?
No. Everything happens in your browser and nothing is sent to our servers.
Is it like a this or that game?
Yes, it is the same idea: in each duel you choose between two options. The difference is that here the options are yours, and the tournament keeps knocking them out until only your favorite is left.
How do I choose between many options?
Write them all down, even 20 or 30, and keep the better one of each pair. Comparing two at a time is much easier than staring at the whole list, and you end up with a clear winner.
What can it help me decide?
Anything with several options: which movie to watch, where to travel, what to name a pet, which gift to buy or what to do on Saturday. If you only have two options, a coin flip is enough.
Related guides
- How to pick a name — For the team, the pet, a username or your project: the four-step funnel method and the random tie-breaker for when the debate digs in.
- Why decisions are so hard — The science of indecision: the jam experiment, decision fatigue, maximizers vs satisficers — and what to actually do about all of it.