RunOut - Hothead Paws Review | Best Multiplayer Party Game for PC in 2025

Multiplayer games are one of the easiest ways to bring people together. Whether you're gathering friends for a casual hangout or organizing a competitive session, there's nothing like sharing laughs, rivalry, and memorable moments over a solid game. But why settle for just platforming, racing, or fighting when you can have all three in one package?

Enter RunOut - Hothead Paws, an upcoming multiplayer party game that might just become your next game night staple. With a variety of unique animal characters, colorful maps, and multiple game modes, it’s got something for everyone to jump into. If you and your crew are always looking for something new to spice things up, this might be worth adding to your roster.

Gameplay Overview

RunOut is designed for flexibility. You can play solo, meet new players online, or invite friends to form your own squad. During my time testing the game, I made sure to try all three options to get a complete feel for what it offers.

The game supports controllers—specifically Xbox controllers—but the keyboard and mouse work just fine too. After breezing through the tutorial, I explored:

Solo Mode – I was matched with five random players and thrown into the fray.
Team Mode – Similar setup but with a focus on working alongside teammates.
Private Party Mode – Easily my favorite; as long as everyone has the game, sharing a code lets you and up to five others form your own party.

Each mode delivers the same core experience, with the only difference being who you’re playing with—whether it’s strangers online, your close friends, or even people sitting next to you in local co-op.

Characters & Stages

In each match, you’ll get to choose from a lineup of quirky animal characters, each with their own unique abilities. Some characters lean toward defense, others excel at offense, and a few can even manipulate how the stage itself plays out. Picking the right character can change how you approach each race, especially in the chaotic platforming sections.

Once everyone selects their fighter, it’s game on. You’ll race through obstacle-filled courses, dodging traps, collecting items, and using power-ups to either speed yourself up or sabotage your opponents. Whether you’re going for the win or just trying to survive the madness, there are plenty of opportunities to mix strategy with sheer speed.

Visuals & Sound

One of the standout features of RunOut - Hothead Paws is its vibrant art style. It blends 3D visuals with 2D camera angles, giving the game a unique, almost nostalgic feel. At times, it feels like a love letter to older party games, with camera shifts that keep you on your toes.

The stages themselves are varied and colorful, ranging from medieval castles to forest landscapes, eerie abandoned manors, and more. The random level selection keeps things unpredictable, at least for a while.

As for the soundtrack, it's energetic and upbeat—perfectly complementing the fast-paced chaos. The music fuels the competitive vibe, making you want to race harder and faster, especially when you're up against friends.

Final Thoughts

After spending a few days with RunOut - Hothead Paws, here’s my honest take: it's a fun, lighthearted game that's great for short bursts or casual game nights. It does a solid job combining elements of platformers, racers, and combat games, offering a fresh twist in the multiplayer party game space.

However, there are a few drawbacks. The stages, while initially exciting, start to feel repetitive after several rounds. Even though they’re randomly selected, it didn’t take long before I’d seen them all. Online matches ran smoothly for the most part, though I did experience the occasional hiccup—laggy rounds or minor glitches like disappearing characters or missing stage assets. Local play, on the other hand, was consistently smooth.

It's also worth mentioning that the game is still in its demo phase. Bugs and repetition are understandable, and there’s a good chance the developers will address these issues and add more content as they move toward a full release.

Verdict

If you’re looking to shake up your usual game night lineup with something quirky and fast-paced, RunOut - Hothead Paws is worth checking out. It’s not perfect—yet—but it has the charm and potential to carve out a niche among party game fans.

Rating: 6.5/10A fun, colorful multiplayer romp that shines brightest with friends, but still needs a bit more polish and variety to hit its full stride.