Corgis and cats with crossbows: Party Animals wants to be your new Saturday night video game

The head of Recreate Games talks about the inspiration behind the studio's forthcoming cartoon brawler - which features many of the team's own pets

I've said it before and I'll say it again: there's nothing quite like a kitten wielding a crossbow. Party Animals gives you an array of adorable pets to dress up and throw into an arena, where they slapstick-spar against each other with bats, shovels, nunchucks and more. Developer Recreate Games looked to the much-loved jelly-baby beat-'em-up Gang Beasts for inspiration for this upcoming party brawler. Playing as a puppy throwing your opponents to their doom off a moving train? Having your otter grab a crossbow to take your family out? It's pure cuddly chaos.

Picture this: you transform into an adorable corgi, your best buddy turns into a goofy dinosaur, and your girlfriend becomes a cute kitten. You're all brawling on a submarine, in a bar, in the snow; in all sorts of extraordinary places," explains the head of Recreate Games, known only as PM. That's what Party Animals is all about." This is the first game from the studio, which previously developed VR software before pivoting to paw punch-ups.

Party Animals is out 20 September, 2023 on Xbox and PC.