The story behind the decision wheel
People have left choices to chance for thousands of years, with lots, dice, coins and wheels. A good random wheel is fair, can't be steered by the person who spins it and still feels like a real wheel.
Drawing lots, from Athens to the wheel of fortune
In ancient Athens many officials were chosen by lot, using a stone allotment machine called the kleroterion, so that no one could buy or force a place. Around the year 524 the philosopher Boethius described Fortune turning a great wheel in The Consolation of Philosophy, and the wheel of fortune became one of the best known images of medieval art.
From roulette to a wheel on the screen
Roulette appeared in eighteenth century France, and in 1843 the brothers François and Louis Blanc opened a casino in Bad Homburg with a single zero wheel. A real wheel slows down because friction takes away its energy. This app copies that with an even deceleration, but the stopping point is drawn before the wheel starts, so the motion can't change the result.
Fair random numbers
The Math.random function of a browser is fast but not meant for anything that must be unpredictable. The decision wheel uses crypto.getRandomValues from the Web Crypto API and combines 53 random bits into a number between 0 and 1. The stopping point is spread evenly around the circle, so an option with weight 3 is exactly three times as likely as one with weight 1.
Why a coin toss helps you decide
In a study published in 2016, the economist Steven Levitt asked people who were stuck on a big decision to let a virtual coin decide. Those told by the coin to make a change were more likely to do it and, six months later, said they were happier. A wheel can also show what you really want: if you hope for another result while it spins, you have your answer.
Frequently asked questions
Is the result really random?
Yes. Each spin uses the secure random generator of your browser, the same one used for encryption keys. The speed of the animation and the moment you click have no influence on the result.
Can I make one option more likely?
Yes. Give it a higher weight. The segment on the wheel grows with the weight and the chance next to each option shows the exact probability.
Why can the same option win twice in a row?
Every spin is independent, just like a coin that can land on heads twice. If each option may win only once, turn on remove the winner after each spin.
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Ready to try it?
Open PictorX in your browser — no install, no credit card required to start.
Open the decision wheel