What this wheel is for
A wheel of names is a picker for a person. You type the names, spin once, and the pointer chooses. Use it for who answers next, who goes first, who brings the snack, or a raffle where one spin is the winner.
The page opens with eight example names. Replace them. A name that is not in the room should not be on the wheel, or the spin can land on someone who is not there.
How to pick a name
Delete Alex, Sam, and the rest. Type the real names, one per line. A nickname is fine if that is what the room uses.
Click the wheel. The slice under the pointer is the person. Read the name out loud.
If that person should not come up again, remove them and spin once more. Leaving the name on the list means they can win the next spin too.
Shuffle if the same names sit at the top and it feels fixed. Sort if you want to scan the list before you spin. Neither one changes the odds.
Make the wheel fit the room
Keep the names short enough to read on a slice. A full sentence does not fit.
Change colors if two names are hard to tell apart from the back of the room. A longer spin helps when everyone is watching.
Weights are there if one person should come up more often. Say so. A weight of 2 against a weight of 1 is about twice the chance. Leave every weight at 1 when the pick should be even.
You can open more than one wheel if two groups should not share a list. Spin the one in front of you, or spin them all.
The shareable view puts this list in a link. Send it to the people in the room. The names are in the link, so do not put anything private in a line.
When a wheel is a bad way to pick a person
Do not use it to single someone out for a punishment, a dare they did not agree to, or anything they cannot leave. Do not use it for a prize that costs money, a grade, or any result you will not accept. Take a person off the list if they are done.
A person, or a different question
This page picks from names you type. If the question is not a person, change the tool instead of forcing the question into names.
For a meal, use the what to eat wheel. For two answers, use the yes or no wheel. For a party prompt, use the truth or dare wheel. If people should join a link and stay until one remains, use the multiplayer room.
Is the pick fair?
Each name starts with the same chance, unless you set a weight. Two spins in a row can land on the same person. That is normal. The next spin does not remember the last one.
If you want to see the spread, open the fairness test and run this wheel many times. The counts should sit near each other when every weight is 1. They will not match exactly.
FAQ
How does a wheel of names work?
You type one name per line and click the wheel. The slice under the pointer is the person. You can replace the sample names before the first spin.
Can the same name come up twice?
Yes. Each spin is separate. Remove that name if they should not be picked again.
How do I pick someone else right away?
Remove the winner, then spin again. The next spin only uses the names still on the list.
Can I make one name more likely?
Yes. Turn on weights and give that line a higher number. A weight of 2 against a weight of 1 is about twice the chance. Leave every weight at 1 if the pick should be even.
Can I share a wheel of names?
Yes. Open the shareable view and send the link. Anyone with the link can see the names and spin. The list is in the URL.
Does this page remember my names?
This browser keeps the list for this page. There is no account. A cleared browser, or another device, starts from the sample names again. A share link is how someone else opens the same list.
Is the wheel of names free?
Yes. No signup and no payment. The picker, the edits, and the share link are part of the free wheel.
How is this different from a multiplayer room?
Here you type the names and spin a list. A multiplayer room is a different game: people join a link, become slices, and the pointer knocks someone out until one remains.
What if I don't want the result?
Then that name should not have been on the list. Take it off and spin again, or decide yourself. The wheel only helps if you will take the answer.