Ownership answer
One Steam purchase can support a two-player WheelMates session. The owner runs the full game, while the second player downloads the separately listed free Friend’s Pass and accepts the owner’s invitation.
The pass is an access route for the invited partner, not a standalone copy of the campaign. The pair still plays the same exactly-two-player adventure, and the owner remains the person supplying the paid entitlement.
Setup checklist
- Install the full game on the owner’s PC.
- Have player two install the free WheelMates Friend’s Pass from Steam.
- Confirm both clients are updated before opening the co-op invitation flow.
- Send and accept the invitation using the current in-game and Steam interface.
Button names can change with client updates, so the developer’s launch image and the live menu are safer than an old screenshot-by-screenshot path.
What the sources do not promise
The official launch materials verify one-copy access on Steam. They do not establish cross-platform invitations for the planned console versions, and those versions were not available at this snapshot. Recheck future platform FAQs rather than carrying the Steam rules forward automatically.