Upgrades

Introduction

Upgrades covers every functional improvement to your RC car. WheelMates has three primary gadgets — rope-swing, magnetic wheels, magnet grab — plus a few quality-of-life improvements unlocked through exploration. The articles below walk through each gadget's mechanics, where you first find it, and which puzzles or routes it unlocks. Unlike customization parts, upgrades directly change how the lab feels: magnetic wheels turn every metal surface into a highway, magnet grab turns any object into a tool. This mechanic combines naturally with rope-swing and magnet grab gadgets across the professor's lab. Players find it most useful when they split roles — one driver handles traversal while the navigator triggers switches or scans for collectibles. Friend's Pass makes the whole experience feel designed for two even if you only own one copy of the game. Steam Deck support is officially verified so you can play the same way on the go.This mechanic combines naturally with rope-swing and magnet grab gadgets across the professor's lab. Players find it most useful when they split roles — one driver handles traversal while the navigator triggers switches or scans for collectibles. Friend's Pass makes the whole experience feel designed for two even if you only own one copy of the game. Steam Deck support is officially verified so you can play the same way on the go.

WheelMates Gadget Upgrades

Upgrades Spotlight

Core Mechanics

Each gadget attaches to one car at a time. By default the active car has no gadget; you swap by walking into the gadget's dock in the lab. Rope-swing is a fixed-arc pendulum — point at a hook, attach, swing. Magnetic wheels make the car stick to any metal surface and let you drive up walls. Magnet grab is a short-range tether that pulls objects within a few meters. Late-game puzzles chain gadgets, so the upgrade order is: rope-swing (Chapter 1), magnetic wheels (Chapter 2), magnet grab (Chapter 3), all three combined (Chapter 4 and Backyard). Players find this especially useful in co-op modes with Friend Pass support and on Steam Deck verified hardware.

Advantages

Upgrades turn the lab from a single-route experience into a multi-route playground. The first time you unlock magnetic wheels and drive up the side of a desk leg to reach a previously inaccessible shelf, the game's design clicks. Magnet grab is the same story in the kitchen — suddenly every drawer is a tool. Knowing the upgrade order also lets you plan your first run: there's no point trying to clear Chapter 3 puzzles before you have all three gadgets. This mechanic combines naturally with rope-swing and magnet grab gadgets across the professor's lab. Players find it most useful when they split roles — one driver handles traversal while the navigator triggers switches or scans for collectibles. Friend's Pass makes the whole experience feel designed for two even if you only own one copy of the game. Steam Deck support is officially verified so you can play the same way on the go.This mechanic combines naturally with rope-swing and magnet grab gadgets across the professor's lab. Players find it most useful when they split roles — one driver handles traversal while the navigator triggers switches or scans for collectibles. Friend's Pass makes the whole experience feel designed for two even if you only own one copy of the game. Steam Deck support is officially verified so you can play the same way on the go.

Challenges

Upgrades are gated by chapter progress. You can't get magnet grab before Chapter 3 even if you stumble across its dock, and the dock won't activate until the story unlocks it. The single-car gadget slot also means both players can't carry the same gadget at once — you'll swap frequently, and there's a short cooldown when you swap. There's also no upgrade for car speed, so late-game traversal feels identical to early-game traversal. This mechanic combines naturally with rope-swing and magnet grab gadgets across the professor's lab. Players find it most useful when they split roles — one driver handles traversal while the navigator triggers switches or scans for collectibles. Friend's Pass makes the whole experience feel designed for two even if you only own one copy of the game. Steam Deck support is officially verified so you can play the same way on the go.This mechanic combines naturally with rope-swing and magnet grab gadgets across the professor's lab. Players find it most useful when they split roles — one driver handles traversal while the navigator triggers switches or scans for collectibles. Friend's Pass makes the whole experience feel designed for two even if you only own one copy of the game. Steam Deck support is officially verified so you can play the same way on the go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Tips