WheelMates RC car customization

Customization is the vanity column next to the gadget tier list. It does not move magnetic wheels, rope swing, or magnet grab up or down. A louder horn will not latch a far hook. A new rim will not stick to a ceiling. What customization does is let two players tell their cars apart in split-screen, celebrate a shelf they actually reached, and show that they paid for the Supporter Pack exclusive body. Rank the cosmetics for joy and readability, never for puzzle power.

Firevolt lets you choose a base color at the start, then find more parts while you search Professor Everett Bloom’s house. The kit is simple on purpose: colors, wheels, antenna, horn. Parts hide in the same oversized rooms that hold story clues. The Supporter Pack, sold as a Steam add-on and in the Supporter Edition bundle, adds another car model and extra options. None of that is required to finish the 6-hour story or the 8-hour completionist pass.

What you can change

Colors. Pick something high contrast between player one and player two. Split-screen and busy shelves punish two red cars. If you play online, you can match on purpose; if you play on a couch, mismatch on purpose. Color is the cheapest readability upgrade in the game.

Wheels. Cosmetic rims, not magnetic wheels. The traversal gadget is a story unlock. These are collectible looks. If a new wheel set is tucked behind a cover, you still need magnet grab to lift the cover. The rim does not replace the gadget.

Antenna. Tiny silhouettes help you spot a car in clutter. A tall or loud antenna is worth more than a rare one you cannot see. This is the one slot that accidentally helps puzzles, because you can track your partner on a busy bench.

Horn. Sound gag, communication toy, and nothing else. There is no in-game voice chat. A horn is not a substitute for Discord, but on a couch it is a “I found the switch” button that does not require shouting over the soundtrack.

Hidden parts in the house

Parts are exploration rewards, not shop purchases. Look where gadgets already want you to look. Kitchen backsides become interesting after magnetic wheels. Garage rafters become interesting after the rope swing. Covers and drawers become interesting after grab. If you hunt cosmetics before the matching gadget, you will drive in circles and blame the spawn.

Use the room guides. The Kitchen is where new pairs learn to scan clutter. The Garage is where vertical hiding spots start. The Walkthrough is the spoiler-friendly order if you would rather not miss a rim for the whole campaign. Getting Started covers how to be in a session at all — Friend’s Pass, two players, no solo.

Do not expect a timer to push you past a collectible. WheelMates is built without clocks. If a part is annoying to reach, park the story, grab the gadget you are missing, and come back. That is the same loop as secret rooms, just with paint at the end instead of plot.

Supporter Pack exclusive car

The Supporter Pack is optional paid extras on Steam, also bundled in the Supporter Edition with the base game. It adds an exclusive car model and more customization. It does not add a solo mode, extra gadgets, or a shorter path through Bloom’s house. Buy it if you like the studio and want a distinct body in screenshots. Skip it if you only need the $19.99 campaign (10% off through 15 September 2026).

The exclusive car still uses the same physics, the same DirectX 12 build, and the same two-player rule. You cannot take it into a one-player story because that story does not exist. Friend’s Pass still lets a guest join the owner; check Steam’s current pack rules if you care whether the guest sees the extra body on their side of the session.

A friendly cosmetic “tier” that is not gadgets

If you want a vanity ranking anyway:

• S for play: contrast colors and a readable antenna. You will actually use these every minute.
• A for expression: horn packs and wild rims you earned on a nasty shelf.
• B for wallet: the Supporter Pack car. Cool, optional, zero puzzle value.

That list is a joke with a point. The real S-tier items in WheelMates are still magnetic wheels. Spend customization time after a room is solved, not instead of calling a latch for your partner.

Co-op etiquette

Do not stall a puzzle to preview horns. Agree on colors in the first minute so split-screen brains can track who is who. If one player owns the pack and the other does not, let the owner show the exclusive car without turning the session into a store pitch. Then go find Professor Bloom.

Twenty-one Steam achievements exist; some will likely brush against exploration, which is where hidden parts live. Play for the house first. The garage still wants rope and grab. The walls still want wheels. Paint is the souvenir you bolt on when both cars are already pointed at the next door.