How this wheel works
Dice go missing constantly — under the couch, in last year's board game box, somewhere in a kid's toy bin. This wheel does the same job without needing you to find one. Spin it and you'll land on a number from 1 to 6, just like a standard six-sided die.
It's useful mid-game when a die rolls off the table and disappears, or when you're playing something on a screen where a physical die doesn't make sense anyway. Add more numbers if your game needs a bigger range than six.
How to use this wheel
- 1
Check the number range
The wheel loads with 1 through 6, matching a standard die. Add higher numbers if your game calls for a d8, d10, or d20.
- 2
Remove numbers if needed
Playing a game that only uses 1 to 4? Delete the extras so the wheel only lands on numbers that are actually in play.
- 3
Spin for your result
Click the wheel or press Space. It spins and slows down, landing on one number the same way a die settles on one face.
- 4
Use the number and continue
Move your piece, count your turns, or apply whatever rule the number triggers, then spin again on your next turn.
When You Need a Die and Don't Have One
Physical dice are small, they roll, and they get lost. Anyone who's hosted a family board game night has spent five minutes on their hands and knees looking for a die that bounced off the table and vanished somewhere under furniture or between couch cushions. A wheel solves that specific problem because there's nothing to lose — it lives on whatever screen you're already using, and it can't roll under anything.
It's also handy for games played over video calls, where everyone needs to see the same result and a physical die roll off-camera doesn't count for much. Share the wheel link and everyone on the call watches the same spin land on the same number, no arguing about whether someone actually rolled a six or is just claiming they did.
The wheel isn't locked to six numbers either. Tabletop games that use bigger dice — a d10 for percentile rolls, a d20 for combat checks — can add those numbers just as easily. Type in 1 through 20, spin, and you've effectively got a d20 without owning one. That flexibility is the real advantage over an actual die, which only ever gives you the number of sides it was manufactured with, no more and no less.
Who uses it
Board game players missing a die
The most literal use case — a die got lost or damaged mid-game and you need a substitute that works the same way without a trip to the store.
Remote game nights
Groups playing over a video call use the wheel so everyone sees the identical result at the same time, instead of trusting someone's word about their dice roll.
Drinking and party games
Games that assign a number to a rule or dare work fine with a spin instead of a roll, especially when the group doesn't have actual dice around.
Pro tips
01Match the wheel to your dice type
Standard die is 1 to 6, but you can build a d4, d8, d10, or d20 by editing the number list. It takes fifteen seconds and covers almost any tabletop game.
02Use it for tie-breaking rolls too
Some games call for a roll-off between two players to break a tie. Spin the wheel once per player and compare results instead of hunting for two matching dice.
03Save different number sets for different games
Bookmark separate wheel links for a d6, a d10, and a d20 if you rotate between a few games regularly, so you're not rebuilding the number list every session.
Dice Alternative Wheel — FAQs
Quick answers about using OnlineWheelPicker.
The wheel uses your browser's cryptographic random number generator, which is at least as unpredictable as a physical die roll. Each number has an equal chance of coming up on every spin, same as a fair six-sided die. There's no pattern or memory built in, so previous spins have zero influence on the next one, exactly the way an actual die works.