When was the Party Animals release date? If you’ve ever wondered what Gang Beasts would look like if it replaced its gelatinous beings with cute, cuddly animals, wonder no more.
Party Animals is a physics-based brawler that shot to the top of the Steam wishlist when it was first revealed in 2021. Since then, it hovered around the top spot, only losing out to games like Starfield and Hogwarts Legacy. Despite long waits for news and lengthy delays, interest in the game never wavered, and it was immensely popular on release. Here’s a look back at its long development cycle and the constantly shifting Party Animals release date.
Party Animals release date
The long-awaited Party Animals release date was Wednesday, September 20, 2023, on Steam and Xbox Game Pass. This news came after years of teasing from a trailer during Summer Game Fest.
It was originally scheduled for 2022 but saw another delay during The Game Awards in December 2022. If you just can’t wait for the release date, there will be some Party Animals closed betas.
Party Animals closed beta
The first Party Animals closed beta ran from September 1, 2023, to September 3, 2023. There were two further closed betas on Friday, September 8, 2023, to Sunday, September 8, 2023, and Friday, September 15, 2023, to Tuesday, September 19, 2023.
Party Animals trailers
Our first proper look at Party Animals was in its Steam trailer, released in June 2020. This trailer shows animals driving in different vehicles across land and sea before cutting to the physics-based combat. The gameplay focuses on several animals battling each other in a sandbox-style adventure.
After a year of silence, the game’s official console announcement trailer debuted at the Xbox Bethesda Games Showcase in June 2021. Unlike the first trailer, this one is noticeably more refined than before, as it revealed more gameplay, characters, and glimpses of the game modes available. We also received confirmation that the game is coming to Game Pass at launch.
The last Party Animals trailer was shown at The Game Awards in December 2022. While it showcases some older gameplay footage, it does detail many of the Party Animals characters and cosmetics we’ll be able to get our hands on. We also get our first proper confirmation of the levels coming to the game. A submarine, a freezing jet, a subway station, a black hole, and a football field are just some of the levels shown.
Party Animals gameplay
Most of the Party Animals gameplay we’ve seen has come from the trailers. There was a Steam demo back in 2020, but the game has gone through several significant changes since then. Recreate Studios has literally rebuilt the game from the ground up since its initial reveal; we’ve seen very little raw gameplay.
From the bits we’ve seen on the official Party Animals website, these little critters can carry objects and weapons, perform wrestling moves like those seen in WWE, and interact with the environment. We know from the trailers that certain maps feature moving trains, icy terrains, and black holes, allowing players to utilize these environmental hazards to erase the competition.
We also knew that there would be a variety of weapons available to use. We’ve seen the crossbow in action, but it looks like we’ll also have the option of using things like tennis racquets, boomerangs, and nunchucks.
Party Animals modes
Party Animals shipped with three game modes: Last Stand, Team Score, and Arcade.
Last Stand is exactly what it sounds like; the last team remaining in play wins. In Team Score, you’ll need to beat the other team by scoring more points in various games. Finally, Arcade offers a mix of modes across different maps with different rules.
Party Animals characters
It’s hardly surprising that the game has captivated audiences online because of the cute critters it features. Party Animals currently has many playable characters, including:
- Underbite (dinosaur)
- Nemo (corgi)
- Tiagra (tiger)
- Macchiato (cat)
- Otta (otter)
- Morse (moose)
- Harry (duck)
- Coco (crocodile)
- Carrot (bunny)
- Bacon (pig)
- Barbie (gorilla)
- Valiente (bull)
Party Animals news
Due to the delays, Party Animal news had been pretty sparse. However, thanks to a series of ‘Dev Logs’ published on Steam, we’ve been able to keep tabs on what Recreate was up to.
In the first developer log, published in May 2022, the dev team talks about its ambitions to continue updating the game long after launch to try and include “all the animals we know in this animal universe.” Some of the concept art includes designs for yet unconfirmed characters, like a walrus, a dodo, and a koala.
We also knew that the game had 12 maps at launch, with more to come after, according to the second dev log. This update also mentions split-screen multiplayer, which Recreate says will be available for four local players. There was some confusion about how to do this upon release, though, so if you want to know how, here is how to play Party Animals split-screen.
The game is also available to play on the Steam Deck. Recreate says it hasn’t decided on graphical options yet, but it will likely have 30 FPS – something they believe is “acceptable”.
That’s everything we knew before the Party Animals release date, and as a reward for making it this far, here are all the active Party Animals codes. While you’re here, you should check out the best co-op games if you want a fun experience with one of your lucky mates. Rather play something competitive? Give our list of the best multiplayer games a read if you want to crush your mates instead.