The roster at a glance
The community wiki records the game as having 16 character types and 11 vehicles, and notes that the character select screen has shown all 11 playable characters since 24 December 2013. Every character is available in the level editor regardless of how you are playing.
| Character | Vehicle | Special ability |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelchair Guy | Jet-powered wheelchair | Fires the jet; the jet direction can be rotated |
| Segway Guy | Segway | Jumps |
| Irresponsible Dad | Bicycle with a child | Brakes; can eject the child |
| Effective Shopper | Motorised shopping cart | Jumps |
| Moped Couple | Moped, two riders | Short speed boost |
| Lawnmower Man | Ride-on mower | Jumps; the blades destroy whatever they pass over |
| Explorer Guy | Mine cart | Attaches to rails |
| Santa Claus | Sleigh pulled by two elves | Flies while the key is held |
| Pogostick Man | Pogo stick | Very high bounce with long hang time |
| Irresponsible Mom | Tandem bicycle, two children | Brakes; can eject either child |
| Helicopter Man | One-person helicopter | Rotor lift, plus a magnet |
The four multi-rider characters
Four characters carry more than one person on a single vehicle: Irresponsible Dad, Moped Couple, Santa Claus and Irresponsible Mom.
These are not co-op. One player controls all riders at once, and the wiki splits them into:
- a primary character, who drives the vehicle;
- secondary riders, who ride along and can be ejected.
The rules around them matter more than they first appear. If the primary character dies, you can no longer finish the level via the finish line — but secondary riders can still collect tokens, which means a level with a token goal stays winnable.
Santa Claus is the odd one out: his secondary riders sit in front of the primary character rather than behind.
What actually separates the roster
Every character faces the same problem — an unstable vehicle on hostile terrain — and each one answers it differently. There are really only four answers:
- Movement abilities — jump, fly, boost or bounce. Segway Guy, Effective Shopper, Santa Claus, Moped Couple and Pogostick Man are in this group.
- Destruction — Lawnmower Man’s blades turn obstacles into fuel, which is the only character that can remove hazards by driving at them.
- Extra bodies — Irresponsible Dad, Moped Couple and Irresponsible Mom give you riders you can eject, throw, or use to trigger traps.
- Specialised traversal — Wheelchair Guy’s directional jet thrust and Explorer Guy’s rails only work in the situations they were built for, but in those situations nothing else comes close.
Understanding which of those four answers a level is asking for is most of character selection.
Choosing a character
- Learning the game? Segway Guy. The jump solves problems that no amount of leaning will.
- A level full of spikes and gaps? A character with a jump or boost, so you spend less time in contact with the ground.
- A level full of hazards you must remove? Lawnmower Man.
- A level built around switches and buttons? A multi-rider character, so you have something to eject onto the switch.
- A rail section? Explorer Guy, or you are not finishing it.
- A long flat drive? Wheelchair Guy’s jet, if you can control it.
Related reading
- How many characters are there — the roster count, explained.
- Unlock all characters — what, if anything, is actually locked.
- Character tier list — a reasoned ranking by documented ability, with the reasoning shown.
- Controls and keybinds — including the controls that change when you eject.