WheelMates, the co-op RC car adventure from Firevolt, drops you into the professor's home laboratory with one clear goal: drive, explore, and grab everything that glows. But what do collectibles unlock in WheelMates? That's the question every player asks after spotting their first SD card tucked behind a bookshelf, and the answer runs deeper than a simple completion counter. Collectibles feed into memory card stories, audio logs, hidden easter eggs, and achievement progress that reshape how you experience the narrative. The game launches on Steam on September 1, 2026, and the demo already has players scouring every corner of the professor's home for secrets. This article breaks down exactly what each collectible type rewards you with, which secrets are worth chasing, and how to reach a true 100% completion run without missing a single hidden item.
What Do Collectibles Unlock in WheelMates?
WheelMates organizes its collectibles into several distinct categories, and each one feeds a different reward system. The most common pickup is the SD card, a small glowing memory card scattered around the professor's home laboratory. Grabbing one triggers a memory card story — a short narrative fragment that expands the game's lore and gives context to the experiments happening in the lab. Alongside those sit audio logs, which deliver recorded messages from the professor and other unseen characters, plus a handful of customization items that change how your RC car looks.
Here's a quick breakdown of the main collectible types and what they unlock — from the Memory Card stories that fill in each wheelmate's backstory to the hidden secrets and easter eggs tucked inside the garage. Each type funnels into a different reward tier: Memory Cards advance the story log, while garage pickups feed the all-achievements checklist and the tunnel items that trigger the rarer easter eggs. Knowing which type maps to which reward means you can skip redundant grinding and target the specific unlock you're after, whether that's a complete story log or a 100% achievement screen.
| Collectible Type | What It Unlocks | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| SD cards | Memory card stories, lore fragments | Common |
| Audio logs | Character backstory, plot hints | Rare |
| Hidden customization items | Paint colors, wheel skins, decals | Varies |
| Easter egg items | Secret achievements, bonus lore | Very rare |
According to community reports from the demo, the professor's home contains more than 30 SD cards, and the full release is expected to push that number higher. The rope-swing mechanics and magnetic wheel puzzles already revealed how collectibles are woven into platforming sections, which means you'll need to master those systems to reach everything. The magnet grab puzzles in particular hide several cards behind moving platforms, so a single playthrough rarely uncovers them all. If you want the full picture of where every pickup sits, the all collectibles guide maps out each location in detail.
Memory Card Stories and Lore Unlocks
The memory card stories are the heart of WheelMates' narrative payoff. Each SD card you collect contains a story fragment that fills in the professor's backstory, the origin of the RC cars, and the mysterious green chemicals that power the lab's experiments. For players who love narrative depth, these fragments are the primary reason to hunt down every single card rather than just grabbing the easy ones.
How Memory Card Stories Work
Every SD card is tied to a specific story beat, and collecting them in the right order reveals a coherent arc. That said, the game doesn't punish you for grabbing them out of sequence — you can piece the story together later from your collection menu. The demo showed that some cards are hidden behind magnet grab puzzles, while others require a precise rope-swing to reach a high shelf. Community testing suggests the full game will include around 50 cards, with a few locked behind co-op-only sections that need two players working together.
Audio Logs and the Professor's Journal
Beyond the SD cards, audio logs add another layer of voice to the world. These are recorded messages from the professor and other characters that appear scattered around the lab. Players who explored the demo's backyard area reported finding logs that hint at the game's larger mystery, including references to a character named Snowball. The audio logs also tie into the lore that the green chemicals guide explores in detail, so collecting them gives you a fuller picture of what's really happening in the professor's experiments.
| Memory Card Story | Reward | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|---|
| The Professor's First Experiment | Lore fragment + achievement progress | Collect 5 SD cards |
| The Missing Prototype | Audio log + hidden story | Collect 10 SD cards |
| Snowball's Secret | Character backstory | Collect 15 SD cards |
| The Final Formula | Full lore reveal | Collect all SD cards |
WheelMates Easter Eggs and Hidden Secrets
Easter eggs in WheelMates range from playful visual references to complex mechanical secrets. The professor's home laboratory is packed with them, and the community has already cataloged several during the demo period. Some of these hidden secrets are purely cosmetic, while others unlock actual gameplay rewards or achievements.
The Professor's Laboratory Easter Eggs
One of the most talked-about easter eggs is a hidden room behind a bookshelf that requires solving a magnetic wheel puzzle. Players who found it report that it contains a customization item and a short cutscene. Another notable egg is a series of scorch marks scattered around the lab that spell out a message when viewed from the right angle, which ties into the professor's failed experiments.
Community-Discovered Hidden Secrets
Community members have also found several hidden secrets that aren't obvious on a first playthrough. One involves a co-op puzzle in the backyard that needs both players to stand on pressure plates simultaneously to open a locked door. Another is a hidden achievement tied to collecting every SD card in a single run without dying, which is a serious challenge given the game's platforming sections.
| Easter Egg | Location | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden bookshelf room | Library | Customization item + cutscene |
| Scorch mark message | Professor's lab | Lore fragment |
| Co-op pressure plate puzzle | Backyard | Hidden achievement |
| Snowball's hiding spot | Office | Secret audio log |
Achievements and 100% Completion Rewards
Achievements are the ultimate reward for dedicated collectors in WheelMates. The game ships with a full set of Steam achievements, and many of them are directly tied to collectibles. Reaching a 100% completion rate requires collecting every SD card, audio log, and easter egg, plus finishing all co-op puzzles and story missions. According to the official WheelMates Steam News page, the team has been sharing devlogs that hint at additional achievements tied to the full release, so the list may grow before launch.
Achievement Tiers
| Achievement Tier | Requirement | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Collector | Collect 10 SD cards | Steam achievement |
| Lore Master | Unlock all memory card stories | Steam achievement + badge |
| Egg Hunter | Find all easter eggs | Steam achievement |
| Perfectionist | Reach 100% completion | Exclusive wheel skin |
The Perfectionist achievement is the one most players chase, since it unlocks a special cosmetic that shows off your dedication. According to the release date trailer, the full game will include more achievements than the demo, so the final list may have additional tiers. If you want a complete roadmap of every achievement and how to earn it, the achievement guide covers each one in detail.
Collectible Hunting Strategies
Hunting every collectible in WheelMates requires a mix of careful exploration and puzzle-solving. The demo's SD card hunting is already a favorite activity among players, and the full game promises even more to find. Here are the strategies that work best based on community testing and the official devlogs.
Start with the Main Rooms
The professor's home is the largest area, and it holds the majority of the SD cards. Work through each room systematically, checking every shelf, drawer, and corner. The magnetic wheel is essential here, since some cards are only reachable by using it to pull yourself across metallic surfaces.
Use Co-op to Your Advantage
Several collectibles are locked behind co-op puzzles that require two players. The demo showed that the backyard area has a few of these, and the full game is expected to expand on that. If you're playing solo, you'll need to wait for the Friend's Pass feature to bring a partner in, which the devlogs confirmed is coming.
Check the Backyard Early
The Backyard closed test that ran from June 26-28 gave players an early look at the outdoor area, and it's full of hidden items. Community reports suggest the backyard contains several audio logs and at least one easter egg that's easy to miss if you rush through.
| Strategy | Best For | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Room-by-room sweep | Finding SD cards | Easy |
| Co-op pressure plate | Hidden room | Medium |
| Magnetic wheel pulls | High-up cards | Medium |
| Backyard deep dive | Audio logs + easter eggs | Hard |
Track Your Progress
Keep a checklist of which cards you've found and which you've missed. The game's collection menu shows your progress, but it doesn't tell you exactly where the remaining cards are. If you're stuck on a last few, the missing collectible guide walks through the hardest spots to find.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do collectibles unlock in WheelMates?
Collectibles unlock memory card stories, audio logs, hidden easter eggs, and Steam achievements. Individual SD cards scattered through the professor's home laboratory expand his backstory and the game's mystery, while reaching 100% completion rewards you with an exclusive cosmetic skin. Hunting every card is the only path to that full lore picture.
How many SD cards are in WheelMates?
The demo contains more than 30 SD cards, and community testing suggests the full game will include around 50. Some cards are locked behind co-op puzzles, so you'll need a second player to reach every single one. Each card unlocks a memory story segment for the Wheelmates, and a few also hide easter eggs that trigger hidden animations.
Are there hidden easter eggs in WheelMates?
Yes, the professor's home hides several easter eggs — a secret bookshelf room, a scorch mark trail, and a backyard co-op puzzle. Each one rewards a customization item, an SD card memory story, or a hidden achievement, so collecting them all is required for the 100% completion achievement.
Do collectibles affect the story?
Yes. Collecting all the memory card stories unlocks the full narrative arc about the professor's green-chemical experiments — each card ties to a specific experiment log, and only completing the entire set reveals the cause-and-effect chain behind the contamination. The audio logs layer the professor's personal commentary, filling the gaps the cards leave silent.
Can I get 100% completion in a single run?
Yes, but it requires careful exploration and co-op play. You'll need to find every SD card to unlock the hidden memory card stories, collect all audio logs for the full lore, and locate every easter egg across the map. Then complete all co-op puzzles and story missions to earn the Perfectionist achievement.