There is a better way to solve this, and it does not require a complex macro or a newer version of Excel. The user who posted this board-game spreadsheet is stuck fighting a fundamental limitation of random functions in Excel 2013: they generate values independently, so repeats are inevitable. The standard workaround, nested IF statements or helper columns that track what has already been used, becomes brittle as the list grows. For a board game with a handful of players, that might be tolerable. But the underlying problem is that the tool is asking the user to manage randomness manually, which defeats the purpose of automation.
What this person really needs is a method that treats the list as a deck of cards: once an option is drawn, it should be removed from the pool until the next round. Excel 2013 does not have a dedicated "sample without replacement" function, but it does support array formulas and the INDEX-MATCH combination. One practical approach is to assign each option a random number in a helper column, then use SMALL and INDEX to pull the nth smallest value, incrementing n for each player. That ensures no two players receive the same option because the random numbers are generated once and then sorted. It is not elegant, but it works within the constraints of the older software.
The real takeaway here is not about workarounds for Excel 2013. It is about how much time and frustration people invest in forcing legacy tools to do something they were never designed to do. A spreadsheet should not require a forum post and a screenshot just to assign two unique options per player. Modern AI-native spreadsheet tools handle this natively: they understand the concept of a pool, they track assignments in real time, and they let the user focus on the game, not the formula. The user in this story is clearly capable, they built a functional sheet with conditional formatting and cross-sheet references, but they are hitting a wall that should not exist.
If you are building a board-game helper, a tournament bracket, or any system that needs fair, repeat-free assignments, consider whether your tool is working with you or against you. The solution for this specific case is a sorted helper column with INDEX-SMALL. The better solution for your next project is a tool that treats your data as something to interact with, not something to wrestle.