Spin the Wheel, Custom Random Spinner

Spin The Wheel

Build a custom spinning wheel with any options you want, then spin to get a random result. Type your options, one per line, and watch the wheel divide itself into equal, color-coded segments. The spin uses a realistic deceleration curve that mimics a physical prize wheel, but the actual stopping point is determined by a cryptographic random generator for perfect fairness. The wheel is drawn on an HTML5 canvas element and supports any number of options, from 2 to 50+. Each segment gets a distinct color from a curated palette, and the pointer arrow at the top indicates the winning segment when the wheel comes to rest. The spin animation takes about 4 seconds with a smooth ease-out curve, fast at the start, gradually slowing, with a satisfying final tick as it settles. Teachers use this for classroom activities (picking students, assigning topics, choosing rewards). Teams use it for standup meeting facilitators or sprint retrospective formats. Friends use it for game nights, restaurant choices, or dare assignments. The visual spectacle of a spinning wheel adds excitement that a simple random pick can\'t match.

How it works

When you click "Spin," the tool generates a random target angle between 0 and 360 degrees using Math.random(). It then calculates a total rotation of several full spins plus the target angle, applying a cubic-bezier easing function that creates the realistic deceleration effect. The canvas redraws the wheel at each frame using requestAnimationFrame. Each segment\'s arc is calculated as 360 divided by the number of options, and labels are rendered along the curved segments. The pointer at the top is a fixed CSS triangle. When the animation ends, the tool reads which segment is under the pointer and announces the result.

When to use this tool

Classroom teachers use the wheel to call on students randomly, ensuring everyone gets equal chances. Office teams spin to pick the day\'s standup facilitator or meeting note-taker. Restaurants create "mystery menu" wheels for adventurous diners. Content creators film "the wheel decides" challenge videos where the wheel picks their next task. Couples use it to settle the eternal "where should we eat?" question by loading their favorite restaurants. Event planners use it for raffle drawings where the visual spin adds entertainment value beyond a simple name draw.

Frequently asked questions

Is each option equally likely to win?

Yes. The wheel divides the 360-degree circle into equal segments based on the number of options. The random stop angle is uniformly distributed across the full circle, giving every segment an exactly equal probability. Adding the same option twice doubles its chance of winning, useful for weighted selections.

How many options can I add to the wheel?

There is no hard limit, but readability decreases past 20-25 options because segment labels become very small. For best visual results, use 4 to 15 options. For larger lists, consider the random choice or name picker tools instead.

Can I rig the wheel to land on a specific option?

No. The result is determined by a cryptographic random generator. The animation is just a visual representation of an already-decided random outcome. There is no way to influence which segment wins.

Does the wheel remember my options between visits?

The current version does not save options between sessions. You can keep your list in a text file and paste it back in when you return. A future update may add local save functionality.

Can I add duplicate entries for weighted probability?

Yes. If you type "Pizza" three times and "Sushi" once, Pizza will have a 75% chance of winning and Sushi 25%. This is a simple way to create weighted spins without needing a separate probability interface.

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