Variables Distribution

Variables Distribution builds groups from the values in your game. Give it the resources, victory points or symbols that can appear on a card, and it lists every combination, or every group that adds up to a target weight, so your deck covers the design space without gaps or duplicates.

What this page helps you do

• List every way to pick N values from a set.
• Combine one value from each of several lists (resource × cost × bonus).
• Build groups that add up to a chosen weight.
• Download the result as a CSV, as one PNG per group, or as a print-and-play PDF.

You'll start from Tools, under the Designing chip.

---

Open the tool

In the sidebar, open Tools, click Designing, then click Variables Distribution.

Helpful details

• Key areas: three tabs on the left (List of Variables, Cross Distribution, Weighted Distribution), each with a Distribute button, and the results on the right.
• What you can do: values can be words, numbers or emoji ("🪵, 🐑, 🧱, 🌾").
• Good to know: the card is listed under Designing only. What you type is saved in this browser and is still there next time, but it does not follow you to another device and signing out clears it.

---

List of Variables: every combination

Type your values, separated by commas, and set Variables per Group.

Helpful details

• Key areas: the field counts what you entered ("6 Variable(s)").
• What you can do: with values A, B, C, D and 2 per group you get AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD. That is six cards, each pair exactly once.
• Good to know: order does not matter here; AB and BA are the same group.

---

Cross Distribution: one from each list

Set Number of Groups, then fill each Group N Variables list.

Helpful details

• Key areas: one comma-separated list per group, with example placeholders such as "1 VP, 2VP, 3 VP" or "$5, $10".
• What you can do: list 1 holds resources, list 2 holds costs, list 3 holds bonuses. The tool produces every combination with one value from each list.
• Good to know: every list needs at least one value, or the tool asks you to fill it in.

---

Weighted Distribution: groups that add up

Type Variables, their matching Weights, and a Target Weight per Group.

Helpful details

• Key areas: the two lists must have the same number of entries ("A, B, C" with "1, 2, 1"). Two switches: Allow variables to repeat in groups and Treat groups with the same variables in different order as identical.
• What you can do: find every set of symbols whose weights sum to, say, 4, to make cards of equal strength.
• Good to know: turning repeats on lets a value appear more than once in one group (A, A, B).

---

Read and export the results

Click Distribute. The right side shows "Total Groups: N" and one card per group.

Helpful details

• Key areas: Download as CSV (one row per group), Download as PNGs (one image per group, named variable-cards-group-1.png and so on) and Download PNP (an A4 print-and-play PDF named variable-cards.pdf).
• What you can do: open the CSV in a spreadsheet to add names and flavour text, or print the PDF for a quick playtest.
• Good to know: the PNP file is made by the same engine as P&P Cards Layout, without its layout options.

---

Tips & common questions

Does the tool show statistics or a histogram? No. It generates groups. For the odds of a dice roll, use the Dice Roller and a bit of arithmetic.

Can I import a spreadsheet? No. Paste the values as a comma-separated line into the tab you need.

How do I avoid near-duplicate cards? Use List of Variables or Cross Distribution: each combination appears exactly once.

Why are there so many groups? Combinations grow fast. Three lists of five values give 125 groups. Trim a list, or raise the target weight in Weighted Distribution.

Is there a limit on the number of groups? Yes. Cross Distribution and Weighted Distribution stop at 5,000 groups and show "Stopped at 5,000 groups: there are too many to show. Lower the target or the number of variables."

Related articles

• P&P Cards Layout
• Dice Roller
• The Tools hub