Roleplay Wheel

Spin a scene to act out: two or three roles and the problem that starts it.

Roleplay Wheel

On the wheel

    Click the button or the wheel, or press Space or Enter. Press again to skip.Tap the button or the wheel. Tap again to skip.

    No timetableCold ovenEarly guestSpooky storyGarage bandSub teacherSilent radioSea caveSunken bellLeft bootsNight pianoAttic stepsOne penguinLive portraitExtra keyStray spellNo saddleQuiet ghostMermaid dayFog curseQuest boardLibrary cardWrong scrollEarth cat

    Sample result

    Fog curse

    A sorcerer, a cursed knight and a scribe. The curse was meant to make a frog and has made a fog.

    More options

    The wheel shows a new part of the list on every spin.

    The wheel shows 24 of 120 scenes. Every spin picks from all 120.

    Results

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      How it works

      The roleplay wheel holds 120 scene starters in five groups: everyday, adventure, mystery, fantasy and space. Each card names the scene, the two or three roles in it and what has just gone wrong.

      Read the full guide

      From spin to scene

      Spin and read the card aloud. Players take the roles in the order they speak up. The problem on the card is where the scene begins, so start in the middle of it. The scene is over when the problem is solved, or has become much worse.

      Pick a group for the room

      Show only picks one group. Everyday scenes need no props and suit a first drama game. Mystery scenes work best when one player takes the detective. Under More options, Take winners off (Elimination) means no scene comes up twice in a session.

      Tips
      • Short of players? One person can play two roles by changing where they stand.
      • Stuck in a scene? Add one rule: a player may speak only in questions.

      Questions and answers

      What is a roleplay wheel?

      A wheel that picks a scene for people to act out. This one gives the scene, two or three roles and a problem, so a drama class, a group of friends or a tabletop group can begin without planning.

      What kind of scenes are on the wheel?

      Mix-ups, lost pets, expeditions, small mysteries, friendly dragons and space mishaps, written for mixed ages. None is a romance, none names a real person, and none names a character or world from a book, show or game.

      How many players does a scene need?

      Two or three, and the card lists the roles. With more players, the others join as the crowd in the scene, such as customers, crew or villagers, or wait for the next spin.

      Can I add my own scenes?

      Yes. Open My list and type one scene per line, up to 100 lines of 60 characters, so give each a short title. The list stays in this browser.

      More tools

      Browse Character Wheels

      All 120 scenes

      Everyday 24

      • Bedtime note A babysitter and two children. The children say bedtime is midnight and have a signed note to prove it.
      • Bus count A coach, a captain and a bus driver. One player is missing at the rest stop and kickoff is close.
      • Cold oven A baker, an apprentice and the first customer. The oven will not light and a birthday cake is due this morning.
      • Early guest Two surprise-party planners and the guest of honor. The guest has come home early and the cake is still in the car.
      • First sale A new shopkeeper, a fussy customer and a helpful neighbor. The cash drawer is jammed and the customer wants change.
      • Flat tire A driver, a passenger with a cello and a passing cyclist. The spare is missing and the recital starts soon.
      • Garage band A singer, a drummer and a hopeful who plays the triangle. The band needs a fourth member by tonight.
      • Last photo A school photographer, a teacher and a student who will not smile. There is one shot left.
      • Late book A librarian, a borrower and the next reader in line. The book is years late and full of notes in the margins.
      Show all 120 scenes (111 more)

      Everyday, continued

      • Lost puppy A dog walker, a park keeper and a child. One leash is empty and the gates close soon.
      • Loud drums Two neighbors and a landlord. The new neighbor practices the drums and the other one works nights.
      • New guide A new museum guide, a know-it-all visitor and a bored child. The guide has studied the wrong gallery.
      • No tables A host, a server and a guest. Every table is taken, and the guest says they are the owner's oldest friend.
      • No timetable A new student, a class guide and a teacher. The guide has lost the timetable and the bell has just rung.
      • One umbrella A lost property clerk and two claimants. Both describe the same blue umbrella perfectly.
      • Parrot talks A vet, a parrot owner and a stranger in the waiting room. The parrot keeps repeating the stranger's name.
      • Phantom sale A store manager, a clerk and a shopper. The loudspeaker keeps announcing a sale nobody planned.
      • Spooky story A sleepover host, a guest and an older sibling. The lights go out in the middle of a spooky story.
      • Sub teacher A substitute teacher and two students. The substitute is teaching the wrong grade and nobody has said so.
      • Twin rabbits A pet show judge and two owners. Two identical rabbits have gone back into the wrong baskets.
      • Two stands Two lemonade stand owners and one thirsty passer-by. Both stands opened on the same corner at the same price.
      • Understudy A director, an understudy and a stagehand. The lead has lost their voice and the curtain goes up shortly.
      • Volcano day Two project partners and a judge. The model volcano went off early, all over the judge's notes.
      • Wrong pizza A cook, a delivery rider and a hungry customer. The box holds a pizza nobody ordered, and the right one is across town.

      Adventure 24

      • Buried plane A pilot, a mechanic and a desert traveler. A sandstorm has half buried the plane and the traveler's tent sleeps two.
      • Captain vote A first mate, a ship's cook and a new sailor. The old captain has retired and the crew must choose before the tide turns.
      • Dry well A caravan leader, a trader and a young guide. The well on the map is dry and the guide says there is another.
      • Elephant out A trainer, a clown and a mayor. The elephant is loose in the market and has found the fruit stall.
      • Fire or raft Three castaways. One wants a signal fire, one wants a raft, and there is wood for only one.
      • Gold nugget Two prospectors and an assayer. Both put a hand on the nugget at the same moment.
      • Kayak race Two paddlers and a race marshal. The leaders followed the wrong buoy and the whole field followed them.
      • Lamp is out A lighthouse keeper, an assistant and a ship's captain on the radio. The lamp has failed in thick fog and a ship is coming in.
      • Left boots A jungle expedition leader, a botanist and a porter. Every left boot vanished in the night and monkeys are watching.
      • Low balloon A balloon pilot and two passengers. The balloon is sinking toward a lake and something must go overboard.
      • Mail run A mail rider, a station keeper and a rival rider. The letter must arrive by sundown and the canyon bridge is out.
      • River fork A raft captain, a scientist and a cook. The river splits ahead and the chart shows only one branch.
      • Rope bridge A guide and two travelers. The bridge holds one person at a time and a storm is coming up the valley.
      • Rumbling isle A scientist, a village elder and a ferry captain. The island has started to rumble and the festival is tomorrow.
      • Sea cave Two cavers and a rescuer on the radio. The tide is rising and there are two tunnels to choose from.
      • Shared guide Two rival expedition leaders and one guide. Both hired the same guide for the same morning.
      • Silent radio A climber, a mountain hut keeper and a lost hiker. The radio is dead and the path down is snowed over.
      • Sled race A sled racer, a rival and a checkpoint judge. The rival's sled is broken and the racer carries a spare runner.
      • Snow tunnel A train conductor, an engineer and a passenger. Snow has blocked the tunnel and the passenger claims to know a way round.
      • Stalled jeep A ranger, a photographer and a tourist. The jeep will not start and the elephants want the road.
      • Stowaway A captain, a sailor and a stowaway. The ship is days from port and short one deckhand.
      • Sunken bell Two divers and a boat skipper. There is air for one more dive and the bell is under the wreck.
      • Three levers An archaeologist, a guide and a student. The temple door has three levers and a warning nobody can fully read.
      • Torn map Two explorers and a map seller. Each explorer holds half the map and neither trusts the other.

      Mystery 24

      • Attic steps Two students and a caretaker. Footsteps cross the school attic and the caretaker holds the only key.
      • Blinking light A lighthouse keeper's child, a fisher and a coast guard officer. The light spelled something last night and the tower was empty.
      • Ceiling prints A hotel manager, a guest and a cleaner. Muddy footprints cross the lobby ceiling.
      • Cookie case A young detective, a baker and a suspect with crumbs on a sleeve. A whole batch vanished before the sale.
      • Extra key Two siblings and a grandparent. The key ring has one more key than the house has locks.
      • Fake painting A night guard, a curator and a visitor. The painting on the wall is a copy and the paint is still wet.
      • Gnome walks Two neighbors and a mail carrier. A garden gnome leaves the street every night and is back by morning.
      • Hidden note A librarian, a reader and a new assistant. A note in a library book gives a shelf number the library does not have.
      • Inky fingers A mayor, an aide and a reporter. The speech vanished minutes before the ceremony and the aide has inky fingers.
      • Jar labels Two lab partners and a science teacher. Someone has switched the labels on every jar in the lab.
      • Live portrait A gallery owner, an artist and a guard. A figure in the painting stands somewhere new every morning.
      • Lost hamster A teacher, a student detective and a caretaker. The class hamster's cage is closed, the hamster is gone and seeds lead down the hall.
      • Magic exit A magician's assistant, a theater owner and a detective. The magician vanished for the trick and has not come back.
      • Missing cup A coach, a team captain and a rival captain. The cup has gone from its case and the final is tomorrow.
      • Nameless cat A new detective, an assistant and a client. The client wants a lost cat found and will not say its name.
      • Night piano A music teacher, a student and a janitor. Someone plays the piano at night and the door is locked from inside.
      • One penguin A zookeeper, a zoo vet and a visitor. The penguin count is one short, and the gift shop has one penguin too many.
      • Purring gift A party host and two guests. A present nobody brought is purring faintly.
      • Puzzle code An editor, a reporter and a reader. Somebody is hiding messages in the daily crossword.
      • Recipe card A baker, a rival baker and an apprentice. The recipe card is missing and the rival's new loaf tastes just like it.
      • Secret payer A shopkeeper, a customer and a delivery driver. Somebody keeps paying for strangers' groceries and leaves no name.
      • Snowman Two children and a neighbor. The snowman stands in a different yard each morning, and there are no tracks.
      • Statue turns A park keeper, a sculptor and a jogger. The statue in the square has turned around overnight.
      • Watch thief A train conductor, a passenger and a detective. A watch vanished between two stations and nobody left their seat.

      Fantasy 24

      • Absent bard A bard, a queen and an innkeeper. The queen wants a song about her victory and the bard was not there.
      • Beanstalk A gardener, a neighbor and a town inspector. A beanstalk grew overnight, straight through the neighbor's fence.
      • Bee strike A fairy queen, a gardener and a bee. The gardener cut the wrong hedge and the bees have stopped work.
      • Blank potions A potion seller, a customer and a shop cat. Every label has fallen off and one bottle is a growing potion.
      • Blunt mirror A magic mirror, a vain duke and a servant. The mirror cannot lie and the duke has asked about his new hat.
      • Dragon tooth A dragon, a village dentist and a knight. The dragon cannot breathe fire until the tooth is out, and nobody wants to hold the pliers.
      • Fickle sign A lost prince, a talking signpost and an owl. The signpost points a new way each time it is asked.
      • Fog curse A sorcerer, a cursed knight and a scribe. The curse was meant to make a frog and has made a fog.
      • Giant's shoe A giant, a cobbler and a mayor. The shoe is on top of the town hall and the giant wants it back by nightfall.
      • Library card A librarian, a dragon and a knight. The dragon wants to borrow a book and the knight wants the dragon gone.
      • Memory price A goblin trader, a traveler and a talking lantern. The price is one memory and the traveler may not choose which.
      • Mermaid day A mermaid, a fisher and a shoe seller. She has legs for one day and has never seen stairs.
      • No saddle A stable hand, a knight and a unicorn. The knight asked for a horse and the unicorn will not wear a saddle.
      • Phoenix egg An egg sitter, a baker and a phoenix. The egg must stay hot and the only oven in town is full of bread.
      • Quest board A guild clerk and two adventurers. One job is left on the board and both need the fee.
      • Quiet ghost A castle ghost, a new royal family and a butler. The ghost has haunted in peace for years and the children are loud.
      • Royal taster A queen, a cook and a stand-in taster. The feast is tonight and the stand-in dislikes everything.
      • Shy broom A witch, a broom seller and a broom. The broom will not fly while anyone is watching.
      • Straw barn A farmer, a dragon keeper and a hatchling. The hatchling thinks the farmer is its parent and the barn is made of straw.
      • Stray spell A witch, an apprentice and a guard. The sleeping spell hit the royal messenger and the message is urgent.
      • Stuck sword A hero, a blacksmith and a squire. The sword will not come out and the quest starts at dawn.
      • Teapot exam A wizard, an apprentice and a talking cat. The apprentice's spell went wrong and the examiner is a teapot.
      • Troll riddles A bridge troll, a merchant and a goat herder. The toll is three riddles and the merchant has only two answers.
      • Wrong scroll A royal messenger, a king and a baker. The king is reading a bread recipe aloud to the whole court.

      Space 24

      • Alien form A customs officer, an alien visitor and a translator. The form asks for a home planet and the translator knows only the word for soup.
      • Alien lunch A human student, an alien exchange student and a teacher. Lunch is served and neither can eat the other's food.
      • Capsule key A historian, a child and a captain. The capsule from Earth holds a key and no note about what it opens.
      • Compliments Two ambassadors and a translating machine. The machine has begun turning every sentence into a compliment.
      • Curious vine A botanist, a commander and a vine. The vine has reached the control room and seems to like the buttons.
      • Early comet An astronomer, a mayor and a child. The comet is early and the telescope is still in its box.
      • Earth cat An alien zookeeper, an alien vet and a visitor from Earth. The new crate holds one ordinary cat and nobody knows what it eats.
      • First step A captain, a scientist and a camera operator. All three were promised the first step on the new planet.
      • Floating cake A ship's cook, a birthday guest and a pilot. With no gravity the cake is in pieces all over the cabin and the party is about to start.
      • Idle robot A robot, its owner and a repair technician. The robot says it is not broken, it is on vacation.
      • Lab luggage A station commander, an engineer and a new crew member. The newcomer's luggage is floating through the lab.
      • Last tomato A Moon base gardener, a cook and a commander. One ripe tomato is left and three people have plans for it.
      • Late parcel A mail pilot, an asteroid lighthouse keeper and a postmaster on the radio. The parcel is addressed to someone who left years ago.
      • Low fuel A captain, a pilot and a mechanic. There is fuel to reach one planet and the crew cannot agree which.
      • Moon voice A radio operator, a captain and a scientist. A voice on an empty moon keeps repeating the ship's own name.
      • No gravity A space hotel manager, a guest and a bellhop robot. The room has no gravity and the guest asked for a bed that stays down.
      • Old computer A new captain, a first officer and the ship's computer. The computer still takes orders from the last captain.
      • Old lessons A robot teacher and two students. The robot is teaching lessons a century old and the test is today.
      • One bolt Two astronauts and a flight controller. One bolt is missing and the spare is back inside the station.
      • Pit mix-up A star racer, a mechanic and a rival. The rival's ship has pulled into the wrong pit and needs the same part.
      • Shortcut A pilot, a navigator and a nervous passenger. The shortcut through the asteroids saves a day and the navigator has never flown it.
      • Space taxi A taxi pilot, a passenger and a traffic drone. The passenger knows the planet's color but not its name.
      • Stuck rover Two rover drivers and a race judge. One rover is stuck in a dune and the rules say helping is cheating.
      • Tied vote A colony mayor, a farmer and an engineer. There is power for the greenhouse or the street lights, and the vote is tied.

      How this list was compiled: List written in-house for this page on 2026-10-01: 120 scene starters for drama games and pretend play. Each line names two or three roles and the problem that starts the scene. Every scene is invented and states no fact. No scene is a romance or a couple scene, none names a real person, and none names a world or character from a book, film, show or game; a few borrow an old fairy tale or legend motif (a beanstalk, a mermaid with legs, a sword that will not come out). Licence: own work