Make a spin the wheel app for a class, a stream or a stand
A wheel spinner is simple until you need it to be fair, weighted or one-per-person. Anticode can build a wheel with your own segments, odds, colours and sound that runs on a laptop, a tablet at a stand or a screen you share. It can't enforce one spin per visitor online, because there's no server to remember who has spun.
Where a wheel gets used
- Classrooms: picking who answers next, choosing a topic, or deciding the warm-up game. Usually on a projector, run by the teacher.
- Streams and meetings: a host spins on screen for a giveaway or to pick a question. The wheel only needs to look good at 1080p and be readable at a glance.
- Trade show and shop stands: a tablet on a stand where visitors tap to spin for a discount or a sticker. Staff reset it between people.
- Decisions at home: what's for dinner, whose turn it is to wash up, which film tonight.
Each of these wants slightly different things. A classroom wheel needs "remove after picking" so the same pupil isn't chosen twice; a stand wheel needs weights so the big prize really is rare; a stream wheel needs a long, dramatic spin and a clear result banner.
Fairness, weights and how randomness works
A fair wheel gives every segment the same chance. A weighted wheel gives some segments more: a free coffee at weight 1 and a 10 per cent discount at weight 20 means roughly one coffee for every twenty discounts. The honest way to build this is to decide the result first, with a weighted random pick, and then animate the wheel to land on it. A good wheel draws segment sizes to match their weights, so the odds on screen aren't misleading. If you want equal-sized segments with hidden weights, think about whether that's fair to the people spinning, and in some places whether it's legal for a promotion.
The randomness comes from the browser's own random number generator, which is fine for a classroom or a stand. It isn't an audited draw. For a prize with real value, run the draw under written rules that you manage yourself.
Features worth asking for
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Edit segments | Type or paste a list, one per line; the wheel redraws as you type |
| Weights | A number next to each segment; slice size follows it |
| Remove after pick | The chosen segment drops out for the next spin, with an undo |
| Spin history | A list of past results with times, kept on this device |
| Presets | Save several wheels (Year 7 names, Prizes, Dinner) and switch between them |
| Sound | A ticking sound as the pointer passes each segment, generated in code |
| Reduced motion | A short fade to the result instead of a long spin for people who've asked their device for less motion |
| Full screen | For projectors and streams |
Building it with Anticode
Describe the occasion and the rules: "A spin the wheel app for a coffee stand: segments Free drink (weight 1), Pastry (weight 4), 10% off (weight 15) and Try again (weight 10). Large Spin button for a tablet, a result banner with a short confetti burst, and a hidden staff reset in the corner." The model writes the wheel as one HTML document, drawing it on a canvas or in SVG, with the spin physics and easing written in JavaScript. Sound comes from the browser's audio API, so there are no files to load.
Lists, presets and history save to that browser's local storage, so a teacher's class lists are still there next lesson on the same computer. Nothing is sent anywhere unless you add a form.
Why it can't limit spins online
"One spin per customer" needs something that remembers who has spun. On a stand, that's the member of staff pressing reset. Online, it would need accounts or a server-side record, and Anticode apps run in a sandbox with no network. You can ask the wheel to remember a spin in the visitor's browser and show "You've already spun", but anyone can clear that or open a private window. Treat it as a gentle nudge, not a rule.
- No verified one-per-person spins. Use it in person, or as a bit of fun with no valuable prize.
- No automatic prize codes. The wheel can show a code you've written into it, but can't issue unique codes or mark them used.
- Collect details with a form. If winners need to claim, add a short form after the spin; it reaches you by email and in your dashboard. A prize promotion also needs terms and, in many countries, rules about who can enter.
For a whole game with a sign-up at the end, see the branded game page. For picking one name from a list without the wheel, a random name picker is quicker to read on a small screen.
Questions people ask
Can the wheel run without internet at a venue?
Once the page has loaded, spinning needs no connection because everything runs in the page. Load it before you go and keep the tab open.
How many segments can a wheel have?
As many as you like, but labels become unreadable past about 24 on a tablet. For a long class list, use remove-after-pick so the wheel thins out as you go.
Can I use my brand colours and logo?
Yes. Give the colours in the request and add your logo as an image to the build; the model places it where you say, such as the centre of the wheel.