Spin lifecycle

A single spin moves through four phases per reel:

START → SPIN → [ANTICIPATION] → STOP → landed

START accelerates from rest with a tiny step-back “pull.” SPIN holds full speed until the server answer arrives. ANTICIPATION (optional) slows a specific reel for dramatic tension. STOP decelerates onto the target frame with a bounce.

The happy path

reelSet.events.on('spin:start',       () => console.log('pulled the handle'));
reelSet.events.on('spin:allStarted',  () => console.log('all reels at full speed'));
reelSet.events.on('spin:stopping',    (i) => console.log('reel', i, 'braking'));
reelSet.events.on('spin:reelLanded',  (i, symbols) => console.log('reel', i, 'landed on', symbols));
reelSet.events.on('spin:allLanded',   (result) => console.log('final grid', result.symbols));
reelSet.events.on('spin:complete',    (result) => console.log('spin done in', result.duration, 'ms'));

await reelSet.spin();           // triggers all of the above

Pattern: fetch result mid-spin

Real slots call the server while the reels are spinning. pixi-reels is built for exactly this.

const promise = reelSet.spin();                 // reels accelerate and spin
const response = await fetch('/api/spin').then((r) => r.json());
reelSet.setResult(response.symbols);            // ← triggers STOP phase
if (response.anticipationReels?.length) {
  reelSet.setAnticipation(response.anticipationReels);
}
const result = await promise;

setResult() must be called while the reels are spinning. If you call it too early (before spin:allStarted), the engine defers the stop until all reels are in the SPIN phase.

Pattern: player slam-stop

button.addEventListener('click', () => {
  if (reelSet.isSpinning) {
    reelSet.skip();                              // instant land
  } else {
    reelSet.spin();
  }
});

skip() force-lands on whatever setResult() told it — or on random symbols if no result was set yet. result.wasSkipped === true.

Full event map

Deeper dive

• Phases — customize START/SPIN/STOP timing
• Events — types and exact signatures