Party Animals is a solid brawler, but if you’re tired of beating your buddies to a pulp, why not try an objective game instead? Many Party Animals’ objective modes are unique and well thought out but can be a real pain if you don’t understand what’s happening. Nobody likes being thrashed because they don’t know what they are doing, so let me show you how to win Safely Afloat in Party Animals.

How to win Safely Afloat in Party Animals

Like most game modes in Party Animals, swinging your fists around like a crazy person will only get you so far. The objective in Safely Afloat is to bring a Safe attached to a balloon over to your team’s side of the arena. Once you have it, you must take it to the large fan at the back and let it float out of reach. Once it leaves the arena, you score a point and the first to three points wins.

The idea is simple, but here are a few things to keep in mind.

Teamwork makes the dream work

There’s a ton of teamwork and opportunities for strategy in Safely Afloat. Once a member of your squad has the safe, the rest of the team should focus on keeping the enemy at bay. As the center platform is so small, it’s easy to keep it congested so your opponents can’t reach your defenseless Safe Carrier. While your team has the Safe, protect the carrier at all costs, even just getting in the way is better than nothing.

If your opponent has the Safe, I recommend keeping at least one teammate on the middle platform. When they score, the Safe returns to the center, and you can grab it right away.

The power of edge guarding

Edge guarding is always strong in Party Animals, but it’s game-changing in Safely Afloat. There are ledges all over the place, and if you knock someone out with a headbutt or drop kick, they’ll usually fall to the lower platform. If your opponent doesn’t die, they’ll waste a ton of time climbing up. A simple knockout can take an enemy out of the game for 10 seconds or more. If you control the platforms, you win the match.

Remember to climb

The loose controls are charming, but they can be frustrating in Safely Afloat. Any misstep will usually drop you onto the platforms below, and it takes a while to get back. To climb, hold Jump + Grab next to a wall. With practice, you can leap across the platforms while sprinting in this arena, but always keep a finger on the Grab button in case you mess up the landing.

Party Animals is a fantastic online multiplayer game and has decent local options. If you’re preparing for a couch co-op session with friends, check out our guide on the title’s local options.