Random Object Generator by Spinwheely — a prompt you didn't choose

Anyone who has tried to invent a prompt on the spot knows how narrow the brain gets. Asked to name an object, most people say chair, cup, tree, phone — and then the drawing exercise or the improv scene is exactly as safe as the prompt was. A random object generator fixes that by putting the choice outside your head: load the wheel, spin, and get a lighthouse or a wooden spoon instead. Spinwheely's object wheel is free, needs no signup, and works on a phone or a projector.

How to use it

1. Keep the built-in objects or paste your own, one per line.
2. Cut anything too abstract to draw or mime; add a few awkward ones on purpose.
3. Press Spin and read the object off the screen.
4. Remove it and spin again so each player gets a different prompt.

What people actually use it for

Sketchbook practice is the biggest one — a daily object, ten minutes, no reference photo. Drama teachers spin for an imaginary prop and start a scene around it. English classes use it for descriptive writing: spin an object, write two hundred words that make a reader see it without naming it. Writers stuck on a scene spin for something to put in a character's hands, which is often enough to unstick the whole paragraph.

The party-game uses are just as common: charades, Pictionary, "twenty questions", and the after-dinner game where you have to sell the object to the table as if it were revolutionary. In all of them the wheel removes the quiet unfairness of one person choosing the prompts.

Build a list that gives good prompts

• Concrete beats abstract — "kettle" works, "freedom" doesn't.
• Mix scale — a paperclip and a lighthouse in the same list keeps it lively.
• Theme it — kitchen, workshop, seaside, Victorian, sci-fi props.
• Add a few awkward ones — the difficult objects are where the practice is.
• Match the age — infants need familiar things; adults can take obscure ones.

Making it harder on purpose

Once the basic spin gets easy, stack constraints. Spin an object, then spin a second wheel for a letter, a country or a colour, and combine the two — "a telescope, drawn only in orange" is a far better exercise than either prompt alone. Timed rounds work the same way: the object stays on screen and the countdown does the rest.

How the randomness works

Each object on the wheel occupies an equal wedge, and where the pointer stops is drawn from the browser's cryptographic random number generator rather than a predictable counter. Spins have no memory of one another, so the same object can land twice in a row. Removing objects after they're used is what gives you a clean pass through a list without repeats.

No account, nothing collected

Spinwheely runs entirely in your browser. There's no signup, no app to install and no server holding your lists — objects you type are stored locally on that device and clearing site data removes them. Open the page, spin, close the tab; your list is still there next time.

Other Spinwheely wheels that pair with this

Add a creature with the random animal generator, a place with the random country generator, a letter constraint with the random letter generator, or a colour with the random color generator. To pick who goes first, the wheel of names handles it in one spin.

Why this one

• Free, no signup — open and spin.
• Your list, not a fixed database — edit every object.
• Remove after spinning — one prompt per player, no repeats.
• Projector-friendly — large wheel, large result.
• Saved locally — the list survives until you clear it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a random object generator?

It's a wheel full of everyday things — a teapot, a bicycle, a lighthouse — that lands on one when you spin it. Artists use it for sketch prompts, drama groups use it for improv, teachers use it for descriptive writing. Spinwheely's runs in the browser with nothing to install.

Can I put my own objects on the wheel?

Yes. Paste your list one item per line and the wheel rebuilds as you type. Most people end up with a themed set — kitchen objects, stage props, items from a story — because a tailored list gives far better prompts than a generic one.

How many objects can the wheel hold?

Up to 1,000, though eight to twenty reads best on screen. Beyond about thirty the slices get thin and you lose the moment where the pointer slows down and everyone leans in.

Can the same object come up twice?

Yes — each spin is independent, so repeats happen and that's genuine randomness rather than a fault. If every player needs a different prompt, remove each object once it's been used and the wheel shrinks as you work through the list.

Is it good for drawing prompts?

It's one of the main reasons people use it. Drawing an object you didn't choose forces you off the shapes you already know how to draw. A common routine is one spin, ten minutes, no reference — and a second spin from another list for a style or setting if you want a harder brief.

Does it work for charades, Pictionary or improv?

Yes, and it solves the real problem in those games: whoever writes the prompts picks things they can already draw or mime. A wheel doesn't have that bias, so the prompts stay fair for everyone in the room.

Is the spin actually random?

Every object gets an identical slice and the stopping point comes from the browser's cryptographic random source. Nothing is weighted and the wheel has no preferences, which matters when a group is watching the draw happen live.

Are my objects saved or uploaded anywhere?

The list is stored in your browser's local storage on that device only. Nothing is sent to a server, there's no account, and clearing site data removes it.