A wheel for when the small talk runs out

It was one of those company events where the formal part had ended, but no one was quite ready to leave. We were all just standing there, drinks in hand, with that familiar lull settling in. You could see people glancing at their phones, not sure what to do next.

The moment the energy shifted

I’d brought this silly wheel app on my phone, just in case. When I held it up and gave it a spin, the first few people nearby leaned in, curious. It wasn’t a big announcement or anything, just a quiet, ‘Alright, let’s see what we get.’The first result was something simple, like ‘compliment the person to your left.’ It felt a bit cheesy, but it worked. Suddenly, we weren’t just colleagues waiting for the event to be over. We were playing a game, however small.

How a simple prompt creates a scene

What I love about a wheel like this is that it doesn’t force fun. It just sets a tiny stage. The wheel lands on ‘tell a story about your first job,’ and someone you only know from emails starts talking about being a lifeguard or a movie theater usher.You’re not following instructions. You’re just following a gentle nudge into a conversation that already existed, somewhere beneath the surface. The rules are just an excuse to listen, and to be heard.It’s less about the drinking and more about the permission to be a little playful. The wheel decides the ‘what,’ so you don’t have to. All that’s left is to be present in the moment it creates.