How to Play Happy Wheels

Created in 2008 and first released in 2010 by Jim Bonacci, Happy Wheels is a free online ragdoll physics game that has stabbed the hearts of computer gamers across the world for years. This game, subsequent to one turn, will get your arrow keys knackered in no time. Put the phone on silent, hide the clock, order a pizza, and have some fun!

Part1

EditPlaying Happy Wheels

1. 
   1
   Visit the Happy Wheels website. Visit Totaljerkface.com to play Happy Wheels in your browser. There are demo versions available on other sites, but this is the only place you can play the full game.^[1]

   • Happy Wheels is well-known for its cartoon violence, including exploding body parts and spurting blood. Know what you're getting into.
2. 
   2
   Sign up for an account. This way you can not only play levels, but can also rate them, save replays and even create your own levels for fellow users to play and rate.
3. 
   3
   Get used to the controls. Some other games in which you control movement allows you to accelerate the vehicle using various keys. With Happy Wheels, you use the Up arrow key. The other controls are shown at the bottom of the game window. If these controls are too hard, go to Options-Customise Controls. Here are the default controls:

   • Hold ↑ to accelerate forward. Use ↓ to brake, and keep holding to drive in reverse.
   • ← leans backward, and → leans forward. Use these controls to move over obstacles, when piloting a two-wheeled vehicle.
4. 
   4
   Play a game. Happy Wheels is easy to figure out, and half the fun is watching your character get thrown around the screen as you mash the keyboard. Click Play, select any of the featured levels, and click Play Now!? to begin your first game. If you're more the cautious type, read the instructions below first.

   • Most Happy Wheels levels are designed by users. If you don't enjoy a level, just switch to a different one for a new perspective.
5. 
   
   5
   Learn the unique character abilities. Space bar, Shift, and Ctrl will each use a special ability determined by the character you selected, or that the level creator selected for you. Here are all 11 of them:^[2]

   • Wheelchair Guy — Shift & Ctrl to rotate the jet, space to fire
   • Segway Guy — Space to jump, Shift & Ctrl to change posture
   • Irresponsible Dad or Mom (parent and kid on bike)— Space to brake, Shift & Ctrl to eject individual riders, C to switch camera to child
   • Effective Shopper (woman with shopping cart) — Space to jump
   • Moped Couple — Space for speed boost, Ctrl to brake, Shift to eject woman, C to switch camera to woman
   • Lawnmower Man — Space to jump; can also mow over people and some objects
   • Explorer Guy (in minecart) — Shift and Ctrl to lean, hold Space to attach cart to rails
   • Santa Claus — Space to float, Shift to release elves after they are injured, C to switch camera to elves
   • Pogostick Man — hold Space to charge a larger bounce, Shift & Ctrl to change posture
   • Helicopter Man — Space to release magnet, Shift & Ctrl to raise and lower it
6. 
   6
   Figure out the goal of each level. Some levels are skill-testing obstacle courses filled with wrecking balls, spikes, gravity wells, giant spiders, and landmines. Others push you off a cliff and send you into free fall with cocktail umbrellas and corpses raining down around you. Most have a finish line you can reach, but there's no guarantee. Keep exploring, and have a laugh when you die.
7. 
   7
   Understand how death works. Lost an arm or leg, or all four? Ignore the blood and keep going! Your character only dies once the head or torso is squished or severed. Even then, you get to watch your ragdoll fly around the level. Press tab or the menu button in the lower left to restart the level or exit to the main menu.
8. 
   8
   Press Z to eject. In some levels, you'll need to get out of your vehicle and walk or crawl around. When out of your vehicle, use the arrow keys, Shift and Ctrl to move your arms and legs. Each character works a little differently, but they all usually end up flopping in place like a fish. You can try alternating Shift and Ctrl immediately after you eject to walk, but this is a difficult challenge.

   • Oddly, the easiest character to control while walking is the wheelchair guy.^[3]
9. 
   9
   Find more levels. From the main menu, click Browse Levels to get access to non-featured levels. You can sort by most recent, most played, or highest rated, then click the refresh button (the curving arrow) to see the new list.

   • If your friend made a level, search for your friend's Happy Wheels name, or ask for the level's URL and enter it using Load Level from the main menu.
10. 
    10
    Have a go at the featured levels. In order to do this, click 'Play' and you will see a complete list of levels that have been specially chosen by the editors to be showcased and receive extra plays and acknowledgement.
11. 
    11
    Play the levels repetitiously. This way, you will get extra fun when youpersistently try and beat the level and get some laughs when the character explodes or loses a few guts!

    • Classic levels include The Combine 2.1, Ultimate Payback!, Car Thief, Speed Bridge and BMX_Park II.
12. 
    12
    Change the blood setting. The gore of the game will only get funnier.
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    13
    Play other players' levels. After a period of time, you will have eventually played all or most of the featured levels. If you have had enough of the featured levels, go back to the menu and click 'Browse Levels' where there are hundreds of thousands more levels uploaded by users. If these levels are good enough, they will be submitted into Featured Levels so you can always go back and check for more. Feel free to rate and save replays if you wish.
14. 
    14
    Rate and save replays. By doing this you can contribute to the Happy Wheels society and eventually be recognised as a full-on Happy Wheels user. To rate a level, press Esc or the Menu button in the bottom left hand corner and click on your preferred rating with 0 = Godawful, 1 = S****y, 2 = meh, 3 = good, 4 = pretty great and 5 being Superb! To save a replay, simply click on Save Replay and add a few comments if you wish.

Part2

EditMaking Your Own Levels

1. 
   1
   Register with Totaljerkface. You'll need to create a profile in order to save the levels you make, and to share them with others. In the top right corner of the web page, above the game window, click Register and fill out the form.

   • Always check that you are logged in before you make a level, or it will not be saved.
2. 
   2
   Open the Level Editor. This option is available from the main menu. Once open, you can create a level from scratch, or click the editor menu button in the top left and load an existing level to use as a starting point.
3. 
   3
   Use the special tools to build a level quickly. The pane on the left has several types of tools you can select. One easy way to get started is to select the star-shaped "special item" tool, and use the new pane that appears to place building blocks, cannons, a finish line, and many other objects.
4. 
   4
   Adjust objects with the select tool. The cursor-shaped select tool lets you choose an object you've already placed and move it around. The selected object can also be resized, rotated, or have its parameters changed. For example, you can uncheck the "interactive" box on some objects to make them part of the background, instead of an obstacle you can collide with or drive over.

   • If you're not sure what a menu option does, hover your cursor over it and wait for an explanation to appear.
5. 
   5
   Learn advanced techniques. In the Happy Wheels level editor, you can make objects move, connect them into simple machines, or even create events that trigger when the player performs a certain action. The best way to learn is to try everything out for yourself, but here are some tips to get you started:

   • Use the joint tool to connect two objects, or one object to the background. Make sure to select the objects and uncheck the "fixed" button, or they will not swing or move.
   • With an object selected, press C to copy it, then ShiftV to create a new copy.
   • To test your level, press T. During the test run, press F to mark the position of the character in the level editor.^[4] This lets you see how far the character can jump or be thrown, so you can place the next platform precisely.