WheelMates is a new two-player driving adventure built around exploration, shared puzzles and tiny remote-controlled cars. It launches for PC on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, with both local and online co-op.
The game follows two miniature vehicles investigating the home and laboratory of Professor Everett Bloom, a scientist who has disappeared in mysterious circumstances. Players must work together to search his surroundings, overcome obstacles and uncover the results of his experiments.
A co-op adventure on a household scale
The setting turns everyday furniture into a sprawling driving environment. Kitchens, desks and laboratory spaces become obstacle courses filled with oversized objects, echoing the playful scale of classic miniature-car racing games such as Micro Machines.
Rather than racing for first place, both players explore the environment side by side. Progress depends on communication, careful driving and using each car’s abilities at the right moment.
New abilities open up the house
WheelMates gradually adds tools that let the cars reach new areas and solve more involved challenges. The confirmed abilities include:
- Magnetic wheels, which allow a car to travel up walls and across ceilings.
- A rope for swinging across gaps when a normal ramp is not available.
- A magnetic grabber that can activate switches and retrieve objects.
These abilities are needed to find secrets and investigate the less obvious corners of the house, giving exploration a greater role as the adventure develops.
Online play and a Friend Pass
WheelMates supports couch co-op as well as online multiplayer, so two people can take on the adventure from the same room or from separate locations. Its Friend Pass system also means only one player needs to own the game for the pair to play online together.
The game takes a gentler approach than action-focused co-op adventures. Instead of combat and boss battles, its challenges centre on peaceful discovery, environmental puzzles and coordinating two small cars.
A natural fit for arcade-minded players
Its compact vehicles, oversized environments and emphasis on shared play should appeal to players who enjoy driving games with a strong sense of place. For more racing-focused arcade setups, explore RETROCADE’s racing simulators, or browse the wider arcade machines collection.
Those planning a dedicated home gaming area can also use RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide to compare different cabinet formats and decide how a co-op driving experience might fit their space.
With its 1 September PC release, online co-op and Friend Pass support, WheelMates offers a focused two-player alternative for anyone looking for a cooperative driving game based on exploration rather than competition.
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