Happy Wheels is a ragdoll-physics-adventure based Flash game created by Jim Bonacci and launched in June of 2010. Players control a selection of various, unique characters with their goal being to get to the finish line, activate a trigger that triggers victory, or collect a required amount of tokens while avoiding being splattered across the level by many hazards and obstacles. Users may create and share their own custom scenarios using the expansive level editor, play some of the over 10 million already-existing user-made levels, or take a look at some of the featured levels – the best levels in the game. The game is most notable for its dark sense of humor and its large amounts of blood and gore. The full version allows you to go to the up-to-date version, while the demo stays on v1.10, with limited features.

Jim Bonacci was motivated to make the game out of disappointment of other ragdoll-physics games. In an October 2010 interview, he stated that “No one was making their ragdolls die properly. They’d usually flop around harmlessly or in some instances have the same canned animation over and over.” Originally, Happy Wheels was made for fun between Jim and some friends, it only contained Wheelchair Guy, and the first level, Happy Green Hills. After it gained some popularity, he made it into what the game is now, and published it to his website on June 4th, 2010.

The demo version of Happy Wheels has been available on many sites including Newgrounds and OneMoreLevel, but you can only play the full version of the game at Total Jerkface (Jim Bonacci’s website) since June of 2010. The mobile app was released for iOS devices on August 19th, 2015, and for Android on January 25th, 2020. On December 28th 2020, a JavaScript remake was uploaded on the Total Jerkface website. Jim Bonacci has also been working on a Sequel, but it is unknown when it will be released.

Story

This is the first public version of the game, so please allow some time for the remaining bugs to be ironed out. Though I still love flash, what’s great about this version is that it performs very well on mobile devices. However, this release does not yet include on screen mobile controls. If you’re desperate to try it out on your phone, a bluetooth keyboard works very well. Though I mentioned previously that the game would now run at 60 fps, some of the heavier levels definitely bog down at that framerate. It is already possible through a setting though, so perhaps I could host a 60 Hz version on another page for those with super beefy processors. Aside from that, Happy Wheels JS should be pretty close in every way to the original. The database of users, levels, and replays remains the same. The only thing lost is the impending doom of the end of existence.

Development

Featured levels are accessed by pressing “PLAY” on the Happy Wheels main menu. Featured levels are assumed to be levels of great quality, entertainment, originality or innovation, but Jim has not explained his system for choosing which levels should be featured. Some levels may be featured to showcase a new addition to Happy Wheels, such as DC metro station, which demonstrates the glass panel, and Viking Revenge 3, featuring the harpoon gun. Demo versions of Happy Wheels only feature a few of the first featured levels. Some of the more popular featured levels are BMX_Park II, Obstacle Course?, Happy Green Hills, Speed bridge, Laboratory 1, and half of doolie’s Dawn of the Dead Series.

Gameplay of Happy Wheels

The actual mechanics of gameplay vary because of character choice and level design; the game includes characters such as a businessman on a Segway. The goal of the game also differs depending on the level. In most levels, the goal is to reach a finish line or to collect tokens. Many levels feature alternate or nonexistent goals for the player. Reviewers have noted that Happy Wheels exhibits graphic violence in its gameplay. Loss of limbs and animated blood loss are also graphic elements. Players also have the choice to upload instant replays of their level attempts, which can then be viewed. Happy Wheels features a level editor, which allows players to create custom levels of their own. It contains a plethora of tools and objects for level building. Users can upload their maps to a public server where they are accessible.

Total Jerkface is a website launched in 2005 by Jim Bonacci. Since then, Jim has hired multiple people to work on the site such as Adura, maverfax, Ben Haynes and Jack Zankowski.

Divine Intervention is Jim’s first publicly-accessible Flash game, and has been on the site since its launch. The game is an action-shoot ’em up, where the player controls a gun-wielding priest trying to save his town, which has become overrun by demons. The player uses WASD to move, the cursor for aiming, and left-mouse-click shooting. This game is for the age of 13+. Divine Intervention received success when first posted on Newgrounds in November of 2003, gaining 2 awards and over 6.65 million views.

Hard Core

The Happy Wheels Sequel, commonly referred to as Happy Wheels 2, is the sequel to Happy Wheels that is currently in production. He has also stated it will cost around $5 – $10 to create levels, although nothing has been confirmed.

Jim will keep people updated on the works via Happy Wheels Discord. Be sure to check pinned messages in the #sequel-discussion channel.

For example, blood will not spew if a foot/knee comes off. However, if the whole leg comes off, blood will spew. Happy Wheels v1.60 added Blood Settings, with four types. Originally, the default blood setting after this point was Type 3.

Type 1 is the blood used before v1.60. It consists of a droplet-like red liquid which falls from the character’s wounds single-file, not initially overlapping. This type of blood is the least CPU-intensive, and recommended for those with lower end computers. Sometimes, users say that this blood type looks like cereal.

Type 2 blood appears as individual lines. These exit the character in the same fashion as Type 1 and rotate as they fall; this type of blood looks slightly more realistic.

Characters of Happy Wheels

A character is an interactive entity the player controls during levels in Happy Wheels. When the character dies, the player can no longer control him/her. There are currently 16 character types and 11 vehicles that a character will ride; all can be accessed in the game’s level editor. Some playable characters have one rider (e.g. Wheelchair Guy, Segway Guy) and some have multiple riders (e.g. Irresponsible Dad, Santa Claus).

Wheelchair Guy rides in a jet-powered wheelchair.

Segway Guy is one of the original four characters.

Irresponsible Dad is one of the original four characters. He is the first character to have more than one character on the vehicle.

Effective Shopper is one of the original four characters. She rides a motorized scooter packed with groceries.

Lawnmower Man rides a lawnmower, and can grind up NPCs and Food Items with the blade.

Explorer Guy rides in a minecart that can attach to rails.

Santa Claus is also the largest character. The sleigh also has the ability to float in midair.

Pogostick Man voice files were provided by YouTuber UberHaxorNova.

Irresponsible Mom is the second to consist of three different characters (the first being Santa Claus). She is also the first character whose vehicle has three wheels, and her baby, seated in the basket on the front of the bicycle, is the first light weight rider to receive a boost upon ejection.