WheelMates controls: grapple, movement and recovery

Driving: RT forward, LT brake and reverse

The community controls guide reports the Xbox-style layout below. Check it against your current in-game prompts; these defaults are community-reported, while the LB grapple example is separately backed by a visible recording prompt.

The practice suggestions are ours. The button assignments above come from the linked community guide and have not been tested by us in a current game session.

Jumping and landing: practice on a low obstacle

The community guide lists A for jumping. At 0:54 in the creator recording, the players show early movement and jumps; one overshoots and retries. Use a low obstacle to judge your approach before following your partner across a gap.

1. Find the landing surface. Agree where you intend to stop after the jump, not just where you intend to take off.
2. Try one car at a time. Let the other player watch the landing, then compare what happened before the next attempt.
3. Separate movement from the puzzle. If you are missing the platform, practice the jump before adding a timed button or a simultaneous pull.

The practice sequence above is our suggested way to learn the movement. It does not prescribe a universal jump distance, speed or timing window.

Getting unstuck: recovery is not one single action

First identify what stopped you. A car lying on its side, a car trapped in the scenery and a tutorial that ignores input call for different checks.

In the video, the self-destruct sequence is a tutorial demonstration. It does not establish a fix for every progression block or say where every later reset will place the car.

Grapple: find the LB prompt on a valid target

The recorded paired-lever setup at 24:31 displays LB over a lever handle. This is the left bumper, distinct from the left trigger. The community guide also lists LB for firing the grapple.

1. Face a handle or anchor. The creator's setup commentary explains moving close enough for the target indicator to fill; no numerical range is given.
2. Use the indicated grapple action. The recording shows LB. Confirm that the rope actually connects before moving away.
3. Choose the movement for this target. A handle pull and a gap crossing are different tasks. For the paired panel, each player takes a separate handle and both reverse on one countdown.

See the complete two-handle example for the ready state, both cars' roles and the green-light confirmation. Use the ability guide to identify tools before trying them on a mechanism.

The visible LB prompt verifies this grapple interaction. It does not establish a universal fire button for Magnetic Grabber, Paintgun or every later gadget.

Menus and input devices

The community guide lists Y for the car's lights. For starting a session, follow the game's actual menu labels: online invitation setup or local split-screen setup. Your partner may have a different input device, so say the action or menu name when giving directions.

Check both games' version numbers at the bottom left of the menu before troubleshooting an online mismatch. For missing input, include your controller model, connection type and the prompt that fails in a report.

The sources used here do not establish a complete keyboard binding table or a verified remapping menu. Use the controls and prompts in your installed version for those details.

Before your first coordinated puzzle

• Drive, stop and reverse: both players can approach the same target without colliding.
• Jump and recover: both players know how to retry a missed landing using the instructions their game shows.
• Identify the interaction: a floor switch you drive onto is different from a handle you attach a rope to.
• Give one countdown: name the two targets, confirm both cars are ready and let one player call the action.

Watch the controls in context

The community controls guide supplies the reported Xbox-style button layout. LB is also confirmed in the selected grapple frames; that visual check does not independently verify the rest of the reported defaults. Reviewed 8 September 2026 (UTC).