WheelMates Gadgets: RC Car Upgrades and Puzzle Tools
Quick Answer
WheelMates gadgets explicitly listed in the Steam store description are rope swings, magnetic wheels, magnet grabs, Phase Shifter, Paintgun, and Magnetic Grabber. Each gadget opens a new way to interact with the professor's maze-like home laboratory and unlocks puzzle paths that a default RC car cannot reach. The WheelMates gadgets list on the Steam store page is the canonical set; deeper gadget tiers and additional upgrade paths are not announced as of 2026-09-05. ## What WheelMates gadgets are in the RC car upgrade loop? The Steam store page for WheelMates (AppID 3905450) lists six gadgets in the official description, and the official Firevolt landing hub at wheelmatesgame.com mirrors the same set. The full WheelMates gadgets list is: - Rope swings - Magnetic wheels - Magnet grabs - Phase Shifter - Paintgun - Magnetic Grabber The Steam description frames these as upgrades that change how the two tiny RC cars move through the oversized obstacles inside the professor's home laboratory. A rope swing lets one car anchor to a fixed point and arc the other car across a gap, a magnetic wheel set lets one car climb vertical metal surfaces, and a magnet grab reaches ledges that are too high for the default bumper. The Phase Shifter, Paintgun, and Magnetic Grabber round out the list as the gadgets that interact with switch panels, color triggers, and pickup pickups that the basic car cannot reach. The Steam store page does not advertise additional WheelMates gadgets beyond those six. The official Firevolt landing hub at wheelmatesgame.com cross-links the Steam store description rather than listing a separate gadget roster, and the Steam Community hub for AppID 3905450 does not surface any extra named gadget in the launch-week discussions. ## How each gadget solves puzzles Each gadget in the WheelMates gadgets list targets a specific puzzle archetype, which makes the upgrade loop less about raw power and more about unlocking a new interaction surface. The brief puzzle-by-puzzle applications below describe behavior "as observed 2026-09-05" on the Steam Community discussions tab and the official Discord invite at discord.com/invite/wheelmates. ### Rope swings A rope swing lets one RC car anchor to a fixed point and swing the second car across a gap that the default wheels cannot clear. The anchor is usually a fixed hook, a wall bracket, or a magnetic surface, and the swing arc gives the player a window to drop the second car onto a switch, a ledge, or a keypad. Rope swings pair with magnetic wheels when the anchor surface itself is metal. ### Magnetic wheels Magnetic wheels let an RC car drive up vertical metal walls and across metal ceilings, which opens shortcuts that a default car cannot reach. The wheels also hold a car to a metal surface when the player releases the analog stick, so they double as a parking brake on a wall. Magnetic wheels are the most common upgrade listed in Steam Community puzzle threads because so many of the lab's hidden paths involve a vertical climb. ### Magnet grabs A magnet grab extends a small magnetic tether that pulls a metal object toward the car or pulls the car toward a metal surface. Magnet grabs reach across gaps that a rope swing cannot anchor to, and they yank movable pickups onto the car. Magnet grabs pair with the Magnetic Grabber, which is the upgrade-tier version of the same mechanic listed separately on the Steam store page. ### Phase Shifter The Phase Shifter lets an RC car phase through a specific class of obstacle, which the Sep 4, 2026 hotfix tightened by improving diagonal-stick handling on the DualSense and DualShock 4. Phase Shifter use is the moment a controller matters most because the phase window is short and a clean diagonal press is the difference between phasing through and bumping the obstacle. ### Paintgun The Paintgun shoots colored paint that triggers color-coded switches and paint-matching doors scattered through the lab. A puzzle that requires the Paintgun is usually flagged by a paint can or a paint swatch on the wall, and the player has to identify the matching color before they can unlock the next room. Paintgun puzzles are the most common pattern in the Steam Community discussions threads dated to launch week. ### Magnetic Grabber The Magnetic Grabber is the upgrade-tier version of the magnet grab mechanic and pulls heavier objects than the basic magnet grab can move. The Magnetic Grabber is the gadget listed on the Steam store page as the heaviest lift in the lab, which makes it the upgrade that unlocks the late-game puzzles where a movable block or a metal door has to be repositioned before a switch can be reached. ## Upgrade loop and where to find them The Steam store description frames WheelMates gadgets as upgrades rather than as starting equipment, which means the player unlocks each gadget by progressing through the lab rather than by purchasing it. The Steam Community discussions for AppID 3905450 describe a linear upgrade order that matches the Steam description: rope swings first, then magnetic wheels and magnet grabs, then the Phase Shifter, the Paintgun, and finally the Magnetic Grabber as the late-game unlock. Each gadget shows up in the pause menu once unlocked and stays available for the rest of the run. The WheelMates gadgets list does not rotate between runs, so a player who finishes the lab once can replay any puzzle with the full gadget set rather than with the launch-day equipment. The official wheelmatesgame.com hub cross-links the Steam store page and the Steam Community hub, but it does not publish a separate upgrade tree. ## Unannounced gadget tiers The Steam store description and the official Firevolt landing hub both stop at the six-gadget list above. Any deeper gadget tier, post-launch expansion pack, or paid gadget DLC is not announced as of 2026-09-05. The WheelMates - Supporter Pack accessory DLC on the Steam store page is a cosmetic accessory rather than a gadget-tier expansion, and it does not add new gadgets to the upgrade loop. If Firevolt ships an additional gadget tier after 2026-09-05, the new entry will appear on the Steam store description first and on the Steam Community hub news feed shortly after. The WheelMates gadgets section here will be updated to match the store listing at that point.
Frequently Asked Questions
### How many gadgets does WheelMates have? WheelMates lists six gadgets on the Steam store page for AppID 3905450: rope swings, magnetic wheels, magnet grabs, Phase Shifter, Paintgun, and Magnetic Grabber. ### What does the Phase Shifter do? The Phase Shifter lets an RC car phase through specific obstacles. The Sep 4, 2026 hotfix on the Steam Community hub tightened diagonal-stick handling so a clean Phase Shifter press is easier on the DualSense and DualShock 4. ### What does the Paintgun do? The Paintgun shoots colored paint that triggers color-coded switches and matching doors. It is the gadget most often mentioned in the launch-week Steam Community discussions threads. ### What does the Magnetic Grabber do? The Magnetic Grabber is the upgrade-tier magnet grab listed on the Steam store page. It moves heavier objects than the basic magnet grab and unlocks the late-game puzzles where a block or metal door has to be repositioned. ### Are there hidden gadgets beyond the Steam store list? Not announced as of 2026-09-05. The Steam store description, the official Firevolt landing hub, and the Steam Community hub discussions all stop at the six-gadget list above. ### Does the Supporter Pack DLC add new gadgets? No. The WheelMates - Supporter Pack DLC on the Steam store page is a cosmetic accessory and does not add new gadgets to the upgrade loop.
Sources
- [Steam store page for WheelMates (AppID 3905450)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3905450/WheelMates/) - `official/store` - checked 2026-09-05 - the canonical six-gadget list (rope swings, magnetic wheels, magnet grabs, Phase Shifter, Paintgun, Magnetic Grabber) and the Supporter Pack DLC description - [Official Firevolt landing hub wheelmatesgame.com](https://www.wheelmatesgame.com/) - `official/store` - checked 2026-09-05 - mirrors the Steam store gadget list and cross-links the Steam Community hub - [Steam Community hub for AppID 3905450](https://steamcommunity.com/app/3905450) - `official/store` - checked 2026-09-05 - Sep 4, 2026 "Hotfix: Startup, Co-op, and Gameplay Fixes" entry on the Phase Shifter diagonal-stick tightening - [Steam Community discussions for AppID 3905450](https://steamcommunity.com/app/3905450/discussions) - `community/video` - checked 2026-09-05 - launch-week threads on the Paintgun, the magnetic wheel puzzles, and the Magnetic Grabber late-game unlocks - [Official Discord invite](https://discord.com/invite/wheelmates) - `community/video` - checked 2026-09-05 - community-shared upgrade order and puzzle-by-puzzle applications
Internal Link Requirements
- `WheelMates keypad puzzle walkthrough` -> `/puzzle-walkthrough/` - pairs the gadget list with the launch-week puzzle solutions that each gadget unlocks - `WheelMates Steam achievements` -> `/achievements/` - links the gadget upgrade loop to the 21-achievement roster on the Steam Community hub
Fact Boundaries
- Six-gadget list (rope swings, magnetic wheels, magnet grabs, Phase Shifter, Paintgun, Magnetic Grabber): confirmed on the Steam store page for AppID 3905450 as of 2026-09-05. - Upgrade order and puzzle-by-puzzle applications: described as observed 2026-09-05 on the Steam Community discussions tab and the official Discord invite. - Phase Shifter diagonal-stick tightening: confirmed in the Sep 4, 2026 hotfix on the Steam Community hub news feed. - Additional gadget tiers or paid gadget DLC: not announced as of 2026-09-05 on the Steam store page, the official Firevolt landing hub, or the Steam Community hub. - WheelMates - Supporter Pack DLC scope: confirmed as a cosmetic accessory on the Steam store page; not a gadget-tier expansion. - Release date 2026-09-01, developer / publisher Firevolt, 2-player co-op RC car driving adventure: confirmed by the Steam store page.