I love a game that creates in-world minigames that are just as strong and addictive as the gameplay loop of the main adventure. It’s not something that is easy to do, as they can often serve as unwelcome distractions, or be just plain bad. However, a number of games have done this successfully. The Witcher gave us Gwent, Stardew Valley gave us Journey of the Prairie King, Fallout New Vegas gave us Caravan, and now, we have Sea of Stars to thank for a new tactical slots-inspired game, Wheels.
Wheels is a game that sees the player pick from a series of figures, all with differing roles and statistics, and then through the use of a Wheel, which is essentially like a big slot machine, the player must aim to create suitable pairings to grant their figure XP, build up their attack meter to unleash a devastating blow, and also must be mindful to build their defenses to protect from the advances of their rival on the other side of the screen.
It’s a wonderful blend of tactical planning and dumb luck that offers quick, fun sessions in between all that ‘saving the world’s nonsense. However, you may be wondering where all the Wheels Champions are, or how to beat them when you find them. Well, wonder no more. This is Indie Game Culture’s Sea of Stars Wheels Guide.
Games Like Sea of Stars
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How to Play Wheels
Wheels is a game that requires a bit of tactical understanding and a whole lot of luck. Which is fitting, considering it’s a game based on slot machines. A game typically plays out like this. You will choose your two figures, which will serve as your means of attack and defending, depending on the heroes you choose.
Then you will spin the wheel, and the goal here is to get pairs of 3x Orange icons, Blue icons, or Hammer icons, with higher grouping being a welcome bonus.
You should also try and get icons with blue starry backgrounds, as these will add XP to your figures alongside charging an attack.
Ultimately, you want to build your Bulwark so the enemy can’t land an attack while getting off enough attacks of your own to deplete their health counter.
The Wheels Figures
The Wizard
- Base Stats: (2 Attack, 2 Bulwark)
- Best Against: Defensive Pairings
We begin with the Wizard, which was the one figure that I went with in pretty much every game I played, and the reason for that was the amount of attacking prowess this figure possesses. The key feature of this figure is that the Wizard’s second shot will always ignore active Bulwarks even if they are maxed out, making it a great way to take out defenses while also chipping away at enemy health.
The Knight
- Base Stats: (3 Attack, 3 Bulwark)
- Best Against: Offensive Pairings
The Knight is very much a blunt tool in the game of Wheels. It can be a devastating figure, but only if you create an opening for it to attack. The knight is easily the most straightforward figure on the roster. You build its attack meter, and then it attacks. If the bulwark is up, it’s a wasted attack, and if their defenses are down, then you’ve severely damaged their health. Even one clear attack with the Knight can turn the tide in your favor, but it is a risky figure to use.
The Archer
- Base Stats: (3 Attack, 1 Bulwark)
- Best Against: Offensive Pairings
The Archer is another strong offensive option, especially if you can prevent the opposition from building a strong defensive Bulwark. The key feature of the Archer is that it ignores any Bulwark under three units, and while it won’t serve to tear down any walls, it can be a nifty way to avoid them altogether.
The Engineer
- Base Stats: (1 Attack, 3 Bulwark)
- Best Against: Defensive Pairings
If you want a Figure that can tear down enemy defenses while building your own simultaneously, then look no further than the Engineer. This figure has a low attack stat, but it will make short work of any Bulwark the enemy builds, and upon every action, you will gain two levels to your Bulwark, too. So if you want to play the long game and build XP, this is a superb figure.
The Priest
- Base Stats: (1 Heal, 2 Energy/XP)
- Best Against: Offensive Pairings
The Priest is easily the most unique Figure on the roster as it doesn’t deal damage at all, but instead offers the player the chance to heal their Crown, and also boost the XP/Enengy of other Figures on the board. This figure works best as a stalling tactic, allowing you to soak up damage, maintain healthy HP, and then boost the XP of your other figure which can then act as a devastating counter-offensive.
The Assassin
- Base Stats: (2 Delay, 1 Attack)
- Best Against: Offensive Pairings
Then lastly, we have the Assassin figure, which is a very hard one to master, but one that can be used to great effect to frustrate offensive pairings. This Figure’s unique skill is that it can delay the attack of the most charged figure by two notches, effectively stopping primed attacks. Plus, it will also deal a small amount of damage to the Crown directly, disregarding any Bulwark that is built. I personally hated using this figure, but equally, I hated going up against it, so it clearly has its merits.
Finding All the Wheels Champions
Port Town of Brisk
Reward: Archer Figurine
This is the first table you will be able to play at, and you’ll find it in The Humble Boast in the Port Town of Brisk. After your arm wrestling match with Valtraid, find this table in the corner and you will be given the following:
- Copper Wheel
- Knight Figurine
- Mage Figurine
You can then challenge the Champion, and upon your inevitable victory, you’ll receive the Archer Figurine as a reward.
Stonemason’s Outpost
Reward: Bronze Wheel
While this probably won’t be the first table you find, if you can backtrack to Stonemason’s Outpost from Brisk, you’ll be able to take on this rugged gentleman, and you’ll earn the Bronze Wheel for your troubles.
Town of Lucent
Reward: Silver Wheel
You’ll eventually gain access to Wraith Island, and, by extension, the Town of Lucent. Here, you’ll find the next Wheels table and earn a Silver Wheel for winning the bout.
Docarri Village
Reward: Engineer Figurine
You won’t find another Wheels table until you find a means of breathing underwater and take the plunge down to Docarri Village. Here, you’ll find a Wheels Table at the Inn, and you’ll be able to use the Enginneer moving forward, provided you win.
Mirth
Reward: Gold Wheel
Sadly, for the Port Town of Brisk and its residents, the Dweller of Woe is a pretty destructive evil entity, and the town gets torn to bits. But luckily, thanks to some great improvising to secure The Vespertine, and sourcing a new island settlement, you unlock a new Island Settlement called Mirth.
Whether you will be able to play Wheels right away will depend on whether you secured the Inn Plans when you were in Docarri Village, but assuming you did, have Jirrard The Constructionist build the Inn and play a game against the Mirth champ.
The Vespertine
Reward: Priest Figurine
This one is quite a sneaky one, as the game never actually tells you that you can board the Vespertine by holding L1 (or your platform’s equivalent) while sailing on the map. Do this, and you’ll be able to explore the boat, and naturally, you’ll find a Wheels Table. Yolande is the champion of this vessel, but considering that ‘Wheels’ isn’t one of her many middle names, you should be able to best her.
Mooncradle
Reward: Diamond Wheel
At this point in the story, the game gives you the option of progressing, or backtracking to explore and uncover new secrets courtesy of your new powers and abilities. If you do decide to make the trip back to Mooncradle, you’ll find a wheels table, but I would suggest progressing through the story, as you’ll end up back here naturally anyway.
Cloud Kingdom
Reward: Assassin Figure
You’ll eventually have to take to the sky, and when you do so, you’ll encounter a number of pressure plate portals on your way. Try these out, and you’ll be teleported to this hideaway area containing a Wheels Table. After, this, you’ll only have one more regular champion to play.
Repine (Seraï’s World)
Reward: Platinum Wheel
Our final regular champion resides in Seraï’s world, specifically in Repine. The only catch here is that in this world, Wheels don’t exist, so you’ll need to find a Deployable Wheels Table to take with you through the Sea of Stars.
This can be purchased from The Watchmaker in The Clockwork Castle on Mesa Island. It will cost you 250G to purchase, so make sure you have the cash before you make the trip, and after that, return to Repine and defeat the final standard Champion.
The Final Game – The Watchmaker
Your final game will see you travel all the way back to Clockwork Castle, as you will need to show your Platinum Wheel to The Watchmaker, showcasing your aptitude for the game; if you can do this, he will agree to play you in the grand finale of the Wheels questline. This match is a little tougher than the other matches that have come before.
I have no way of quantifying or confirming this, but I’m confident that The Watchmaker gets much more favorable spins than you, meaning you’ll need to take risks, balance and attack and defense carefully, and use a pairing that you feel works best against the random pair that he leads with.
Upon winning this game, you will receive a Key Item, a Flimsy Hammer, and that wraps up your quest to become the best Wheels player there ever was, congrats!
Re-inventing The Wheel
As you can see, Wheels is a pretty addictive game, and a great way to make some coin if you are a little short of cash. While I will concede that tactics aren’t all that important, as practically any combination of figurines can beat another if your luck is in, it’s still a bundle of fun to play.
I hope that this has allowed you to hone your Wheels strategy, and helped you find all the champions so you can show them what you’re made of. As always, thanks for reading Indie Game Culture.
FAQ Section
Question: How Many Wheels Champions Are There?
Answer: There are a total of ten champions to defeat in Sea of Stars. However, you will need to beat nine champions before The Watchmaster will even entertain playing you.
Question: What’s The Best Wheels Figure?
Answer: As mentioned, practically any combo can work if your luck is good. However, I believe that the Wizard and Knight are the best options. As the Wizard will always get two attacks, with the second ignoring defenses, and the Knight will practically always dismantle any existing defenses, making them an excellent pairing. However, the Archer is definitely a close third, in my opinion.
Question: How Much is The Deployable Wheels Table?
Answer: This can be bought from The Watchmaker after having a discussion with an NPC in Repine. This will cost the player 250G to purchase.
Games Like Sea of Stars
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4.6
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3.3
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4.5
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