Wheel Mates: Tiny Cars, Big Puzzles and a Co-op Adventure Full of Chaos

Well, here it is! A game that reminds me of Split Fiction and It Takes Two, except this time we're cars. From driving around a kitchen and narrowly avoiding a deadly hob to being thrown into a mysterious void, WheelMates has already given us plenty of laughs, confusion and moments where teamwork really is everything. And we haven't even finished it yet!

It Takes Two, but This Time We're Cars!

If you've ever played It Takes Two or Split Fiction, you'll know exactly how entertaining a good cooperative adventure can be.

The teamwork, the puzzles, the occasional arguments over who's doing something wrong and, of course, the endless opportunities to laugh at your partner.

Well, here it is. Another cooperative adventure that gives me those same feelings, except this time we're cars.

Not normal cars, either.

We're tiny remote-controlled cars exploring a house where absolutely everything is bigger than us, and what would normally be an everyday household object has suddenly become a dangerous obstacle.

Wheel Mates, developed by Firevolt, follows two players controlling RC cars as they investigate the disappearance of a scientist, Professor Everett Bloom.

But this isn't simply a racing game.

You'll need to solve puzzles, work together, unlock new tools and find your way through environments that become increasingly strange.

We've been playing through the game together, and although we haven't completed it yet, we've already had more than enough hilarious moments to make it worth talking about.

Some of the puzzles have been clever. Some have been confusing. And some have involved me watching my partner repeatedly fall because apparently remembering where the brakes are is optional.

Welcome to Wheel Mates.

The Tutorial: Please Remember You Have Brakes

Every good game needs a tutorial, and WheelMates starts things off rather nicely.

You're introduced to the controls, learning how to drive, navigate obstacles and handle your tiny vehicle.

The tutorial does a good job of getting you familiar with the mechanics without making everything feel overly complicated.

At least, that's the idea.

You see, learning the controls is one thing.

Actually using them correctly is something else entirely.

Especially when your partner keeps forgetting the brakes.

There is something genuinely hilarious about watching someone repeatedly drive off an edge, fall, restart and then somehow manage to do exactly the same thing again.

You would think after the first couple of attempts that maybe, just maybe, slowing down might be a good idea.

Apparently not.

But that's part of the fun.

The driving controls take a little getting used to, particularly when you're trying to judge distances and navigate tight spaces.

It isn't enough to simply hold down the accelerator and hope everything works out.

Although that does seem to be a popular strategy.

By the time we finished learning the basics, we were already laughing, and we hadn't even started the real adventure.

Welcome to the Kitchen

Once you're comfortable behind the wheel, it's time to enter the kitchen.

And suddenly, the scale of everything becomes apparent.

What would normally be a straightforward trip across a kitchen counter is now an adventure involving enormous furniture, dangerous appliances and plenty of places to fall.

The first major objective involves finding and activating two radios.

One is located high up on the kitchen counter, while the other is over in the living room.

Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?

Well, not quite.

Getting onto the kitchen counter requires some careful navigation, and there is one particularly important thing to remember.

Watch out for the hob. It will kill you.

Yes, something that normally cooks your dinner is now one of your biggest enemies.

And when you're driving around as a tiny RC car, a kitchen hob becomes surprisingly intimidating.

It adds a nice bit of challenge to what would otherwise be a simple journey between two locations.

You have to pay attention to where you're going, think about your route and make sure you don't accidentally send yourself straight into danger.

Because, as we had already established during the tutorial, stopping isn't always everyone's strongest skill.

The Living Room: Time to Get Grappling

Once you've made your way into the living room, things start getting even more interesting.

Reaching the top of the room allows you to collect your first major tool: the grapple.

And this is where Wheel Mates begins showing just how much more it has to offer.

Suddenly, you're not limited to driving and jumping around the environment.

You can start reaching places that previously seemed impossible, opening up new opportunities to explore.

The grapple adds another layer to the movement system and changes how you approach obstacles.

Instead of simply trying to find a ramp or jump across a gap, you now have another way to navigate the environment.

Of course, learning a new tool also means discovering completely new ways to get things wrong.

And when you're playing together, that can be just as entertaining as getting it right.

Mini-Game Time: You're It!

Wheel Mates isn't entirely focused on completing missions.

There are also mini-games scattered throughout the adventure, giving you the opportunity to forget about the main objective and compete against your partner.

The first one we discovered was Tag.

And it is every bit as ridiculous as it sounds.

Run around, hide, chase one another and try to avoid being the unlucky player who ends up exploding.

There's something wonderful about taking a break from carefully solving puzzles just to spend a few minutes causing absolute chaos.

It's competitive, silly and exactly the kind of thing that makes cooperative games memorable.

Because nothing says teamwork quite like desperately trying to make sure your partner loses.

Under the Sink and Into the Unknown

Once you've finished messing around in the living room, it's time to return to the main mission.

This time, the adventure takes you underneath the kitchen sink.

Here, you're introduced to another important part of the game: splitting up to complete tasks.

Rather than both players following exactly the same route, you need to work independently while still helping each other progress.

This section is all about learning to swing.

You'll need to use your new abilities, navigate the environment and figure out how to reach the necessary controls.

Pull the lever, complete the objective, and that's the kitchen mission finished.

Simple.

Well, simple when you know what you're doing.

But with the kitchen behind us, it was time to find out what the rest of the house had waiting.

Hallway, Here We Come!

Leaving the kitchen takes you into the hallway, where the adventure continues introducing different obstacles and challenges.

But before getting too focused on the mission, there's another mini-game waiting.

Coin Rush!

The idea is straightforward.

Race around the area, collect as many coins as possible and see who's going to win.

It's a nice change of pace from the cooperative puzzle-solving, especially after spending so much time working together.

Now you can find out who's actually the better driver.

Or at least who's better at collecting coins without crashing into everything.

Once you've finished competing, it's back to the serious business of navigating the hallway.

Well, as serious as driving a tiny remote-controlled car around someone's house can possibly be.

Vents, Drawers, Lifts and Hidden Lasers

The hallway mission brings another collection of interesting obstacles.

You'll find yourself navigating through vents, exploring drawers and working out how to use a lift to reach new areas.

It's a clever way of transforming ordinary household spaces into an adventure.

A drawer isn't just somewhere to store things anymore. It's another route to explore.

A ventilation system becomes a tunnel.

And a lift becomes part of a much larger puzzle.

However, there's another danger waiting for you.

Lasers.

And they certainly know how to catch you off guard.

One moment, you think you've found a perfectly safe route.

The next, there's a laser appearing exactly where you didn't want one.

Do they really come out of nowhere?

Or have you simply not been paying enough attention?

That's something you'll have to work out for yourself.

After navigating the obstacles and figuring out the mechanics, you'll eventually reach another lever.

Pull it, complete the objective, and it's time for something completely different.

And I really do mean different

.

The Void: Everything Is Upside Down

Just when you think you're starting to understand Wheel Mates, the game decides to throw you into the Void.

And suddenly, everything feels a little strange.

Things are upside down, the environment looks completely different, and you're left trying to work out where you're supposed to go.

It's weird.

But it's also one of the most entertaining parts of the adventure so far.

With slides here, swings there and obstacles that make you question your sense of direction, the Void really keeps you on your toes.

The game takes the skills you've already learned and starts asking you to use them in new ways.

You can't simply rely on driving around a flat surface anymore.

You need to think about movement, momentum and how to use the tools you've collected.

It's a brilliant way of keeping the gameplay fresh.

And just as you're beginning to get comfortable, the Void presents another challenge.

Now That's an Amazing Maze!

Pun absolutely intended.

One of the most interesting puzzles we've encountered involves a maze.

But here's the catch.

One of you is trapped inside, while the other player controls the doors.

That means communication is everything.

The player navigating the maze needs to work out where they're going, while the other needs to open the correct routes to let them through.

It sounds straightforward, but you quickly realise just how important it is to explain what you're seeing.

And as with any good cooperative puzzle, there's always the possibility that one person thinks they've understood the instructions while the other is wondering why nothing is happening.

I really enjoyed this section because it takes full advantage of the game's cooperative design.

You're not simply completing two separate challenges.

You're genuinely relying on one another.

Get it right, and everything works beautifully.

Get it wrong, and you might be having a rather long conversation about which door was supposed to open.

Maths on the Wall? Easy!

After the maze, Wheel Mates decides it's time to test your brain again.

This time, you're presented with maths and symbols on a wall.

Now, I know that putting maths into a game might immediately make some people nervous, but don't panic.

We managed to work it out.

And actually, it was rather satisfying.

There's something enjoyable about looking at a puzzle, wondering what the game wants from you and suddenly realising how everything fits together.

That little moment when the answer finally clicks is one of my favourite things about puzzle games.

Especially when you get to feel clever for a few seconds.

Of course, the game doesn't let you celebrate for too long.

There's another rather unusual challenge waiting.

Things Are Getting a Little Quackers

Now we've arrived somewhere completely different.

Ducks.

Yes, ducks.

Because apparently, after escaping lasers, navigating a maze and solving maths puzzles, the obvious next step is a puzzle involving ducks and a collection of levers.

The challenge involves following lines to work out which lever connects to which mechanism.

There are four to identify, and you'll need to pay attention to where each line leads.

Thankfully, this is something I remember being rather good at in school.

Follow the lines, work out where they go and match everything correctly.

One, two, three and four.

Sorted.

Well, almost.

There's also a little bit of poison to deal with, because apparently no part of this house is allowed to be completely safe.

Once you've worked everything out and pulled the correct levers, you're ready to move on.

But the Void isn't finished testing you yet.

Five Tubes, Four Buttons and One Confused Brain

Now this is where things start getting interesting.

You're faced with five tubes that need filling.

The problem?

You only have four buttons.

So how exactly are you supposed to fill all five?

Well, that's the puzzle.

You need to experiment, observe what happens when you press each button and work out the correct pattern.

This is the kind of challenge that can either make you feel like a genius or leave you staring at the screen wondering what you're missing.

And that's what makes it entertaining.

Wheel Mates keeps changing the type of problem you're facing, so you can't rely on the same solution every time.

One moment you're driving and jumping, the next you're swinging through the air, and now you're trying to work out a pattern involving tubes and buttons.

There's plenty of variety.

And just when you think you've mastered one mechanic, something new appears.

It's Magnet Time!

Time for another tool.

And this one is particularly exciting.

Magnets!

The magnetic tool introduces even more possibilities for interacting with the environment.

Suddenly, objects and obstacles that previously seemed difficult to deal with have new solutions.

It's another example of how Wheel Mates gradually builds upon its mechanics.

Rather than giving you every ability from the beginning, it introduces tools as you progress.

That means the game can continue surprising you with new puzzles and ways to explore.

And I'll admit, magnets are rather fun.

Especially when you start discovering just how much you can do with them.

Of course, having a new tool doesn't automatically mean you'll know what to do with it.

As we were about to discover.

The Garage: I Was Definitely Confused

Eventually, our adventure brought us into the garage.

And this is where things became a little more complicated for me.

First of all, there's a car.

A rather large car.

And when you're a tiny RC vehicle, standing next to an actual car really does put things into perspective.

Then there's the strange goop covering parts of the floor.

Which, naturally, looks like something you should definitely avoid touching.

But the biggest challenge for me wasn't the environment.

It was trying to figure out what we were actually supposed to do.

I'll admit it.

I was confused. Very confused.

There were moments where I simply couldn't work out the next step, and no matter how much I looked around, the solution wasn't immediately obvious.

Thankfully, my partner managed to work things out and get us moving again.

Which was nice, considering how many times I'd watched them fall during the tutorial.

Apparently, we both have our strengths.

The garage is a good example of why Wheel Mates works so well as a cooperative experience.

Sometimes, one person will spot something the other completely misses.

And sometimes, you're just going to need your partner to take the lead.

It was probably the most confusing section for me so far, but getting through it still felt rewarding.

Back to the Void: Magnetic Wheels!

Just when you think you're finished with the strange environments, it's time to return to the Void.

And this time, there's another tool waiting.

Magnetic wheels!

Now, this is cool.

Really cool.

Your new wheels allow you to travel along surfaces in completely different ways, including driving around walls and upside down.

Which, when you think about it, is absolutely ridiculous.

But in the best possible way.

Suddenly, the world opens up again.

Surfaces that were previously impossible to reach become part of your route, and you have to start thinking about the environment from entirely new angles.

Quite literally.

One moment you're driving along normally.

The next, you're upside down, trying to remember which direction you're facing.

It's chaotic, slightly disorientating and brilliant fun.

And then there's basketball.

Have You Ever Played Basketball with an Orange?

Have you ever wanted to play basketball using an orange and a remote-controlled car?

Same.

Probably not.

But here we are.

Somehow, Wheel Mates manages to take a perfectly normal object and turn it into another ridiculous challenge.

The idea of playing basketball with an orange while driving an RC car is exactly the kind of thing that makes this game entertaining.

It's unexpected.

It's silly.

And it fits perfectly with everything else we've experienced.

The second visit to the Void is filled with twisting, swinging and flinging yourself around as you become familiar with your magnetic wheels.

It takes a little time to adjust.

After all, driving on walls and ceilings isn't something you normally have to worry about in a racing game.

But once you start getting the hang of it, the movement becomes one of the most enjoyable parts of the experience.

There's something genuinely satisfying about successfully navigating a section that would have been impossible only a little earlier.

And after all the twisting, turning and confusion, we're finally heading somewhere new.

Backyard, Here We Come!

And this is where our adventure has reached so far.

The backyard.

After exploring the kitchen, living room, hallway, garage and the increasingly strange Void, we've finally made it outside.

But what exactly is waiting for us?

More puzzles?

More strange tools?

More things that are somehow determined to destroy two innocent little RC cars?

Or perhaps another opportunity for my partner to forget where the brakes are.

I wouldn't rule that one out.

We haven't completed Wheel Mates yet, so I'm not going to pretend I know what happens next.

What I can say is that everything we've experienced up to this point has kept us entertained, challenged and occasionally completely confused.

And that's a good thing.

Why Wheel Mates Works So Well as a Co-op Game

One thing that's become clear throughout our playthrough is how much Wheel Mates relies on communication.

You can't simply complete every objective independently and expect everything to work out.

There are moments when one player needs to operate a mechanism while the other navigates an obstacle.

There are puzzles that require both players to understand what's happening.

And there are sections where one person might have absolutely no idea what to do while the other somehow spots the solution immediately.

It's that balance that reminds me of games such as It Takes Two and Split Fiction.

Not because Wheel Mates is identical to either game, but because it creates those same moments where working together becomes the most important part of the adventure.

You'll laugh at each other's mistakes.

You'll occasionally get frustrated.

You'll celebrate when you finally solve something that seemed impossible five minutes earlier.

And then you'll immediately encounter another puzzle that makes you question everything.

There are even competitive mini-games to give you a break from cooperating.

Wheel Mates also offers online cooperative play and local split-screen, with a Friend's Pass that lets a second player join without buying another copy.

It makes sense for a game built entirely around sharing the experience with someone else.

Our Thoughts So Far: Tiny Cars, Plenty of Laughs

We haven't reached the end of Wheel Mates, and there is still plenty left for us to discover.

But based on our adventure so far, I've genuinely enjoyed what the game has to offer.

The tutorial introduces the controls nicely, even if remembering the brakes seems to be a challenge in itself.

The kitchen is a fun introduction to navigating everyday objects at an entirely different scale.

The mini-games offer a welcome opportunity to compete against your partner, while the main puzzles encourage you to work together.

And the Void?

Well, that's an experience all on its own.

From strange mazes and mathematical puzzles to magnetic wheels and basketball with an orange, Wheel Mates has already thrown some wonderfully unusual ideas at us.

Not every moment has been straightforward.

The garage in particular had me feeling considerably more confused than I would have liked.

But that's part of the experience.

Sometimes you'll work something out immediately. Sometimes your partner will have to help you. And sometimes you'll both be staring at the screen wondering what on earth the game expects you to do.

It's those moments that make cooperative adventures memorable.

So far, Wheel Mates has been a mixture of laughter, teamwork, confusion and some genuinely entertaining puzzle-solving.

We're now heading into the backyard, and I'm looking forward to discovering what comes next.

Will the puzzles get harder?

Will we unlock even more ridiculous tools?

Will we finally discover the truth behind the missing professor?

And most importantly, will my partner ever learn to use the brakes?

Only time will tell.

This isn't our final verdict on Wheel Mates. We're still playing, and there's plenty more adventure ahead.

But if you're looking for a game to enjoy with a partner or friend, and you like the cooperative puzzle-solving style of It Takes Two and Split Fiction, Wheel Mates is definitely worth a look.

Just make sure you know where the brakes are.

Wheel Mates is developed and published by Firevolt and is available on Steam for PC.

Find the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3905450/WheelMates/