What is a Weighted Chance Wheel? Adjust the Probability Yourself
In a classic spinner, all slices are equal: if there are six options, each has a one-in-six chance. In a weighted spinner, you set the slice width — meaning you can say "let this option come up twice as often."
Slice width = probability
The logic of a weighted spinner is one sentence: the probability of a slice coming up equals the area it takes up on the spinner. If you give four options weights of 4, 2, 1, 1, that's 8 units total, and the first option comes up 4/8, or 50% of the time.
- Weight 4 → 4/8 = 50%
- Weight 2 → 2/8 = 25%
- Weight 1 → 1/8 = 12.5%
- Weight 1 → 1/8 = 12.5%
When do you need to set weights?
- To balance difficulty. In game tasks, hard challenges should be rare and easy ones should come up often.
- To reflect the real world. In a "Where should we eat?" spinner, a place you visit every week shouldn't have the same chance as one you visit once a year.
- When distributing prizes. Big prizes should be rare; small prizes should come up often.
- The opposite when you don't want to break fairness: in raffles everyone should have equal rights—don't use weights.
A common misconception: "a slice that rarely comes up must be broken"
In a weighted spinner, a low-probability slice may not come up for a long time, and that's normal. A 10% option has about a 65% chance of coming up at least once in ten spins — meaning one out of three tries it won't come up at all. Failing to see the expected distribution in a small number of tries doesn't mean the spinner is broken.
Similarly, the same result two times in a row is completely normal; each spin is independent and doesn't "remember" the previous result.
The practical way to set weights
- First, give the option you want to come up most often a weight of 10.
- Adjust the others relative to it: if something should come up half as often, give it 5; if one-fifth as often, give it 2.
- You don't need to calculate the total; the ratios are enough.
- If you don't want an option to come up at all, remove it from the list instead of giving it a weight.
Using it with elimination mode
When you combine a weighted spinner with elimination mode, the selected option is deleted from the list and the remaining slices' probabilities automatically redistribute. This combination is the most practical solution for picking order or assigning tasks.
Setting weights in Spinify
In Spinify you can set a separate weight for each slice, see the result on the spinner, and save and reuse the same spinner. 14 preset templates, nested spinners, and elimination mode all on the same screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a weighted spinner fair?
It depends on the purpose. In situations like raffles where everyone deserves equal rights, use equal slices. In situations like game difficulty or prize distribution, weights create the balance you want.
Should the weight numbers be percentages?
No, ratios are enough. 4-2-1-1 and 40-20-10-10 give the same result; the app calculates the total itself.
Can the same result come up several times in a row?
Yes, and that's expected. Each spin is independent; previous results don't affect the next one.
Spinify
Advanced spinner with weighted probability, nested spinners, and 14 ready-made templates.
