VERSION 0.16.215
Build 524
- Fix: a second taunt after the first one ended gave a script error. Now it does not.
Closed betaOpen beta
PLAY IT FIRST
ANYONE CAN PLAY
Shootbutt is in closed beta. You play new builds first, and your reports decide what we fix next. Sign up with your email to get the download. Parents sign up; kids play under your account.
The game is not finished. Modes, maps and balance change every week.
- What a tester does
- Play a few matches a week. Try the new modes and maps. Tell us what breaks.
- How to report a bug
- In the game, press Esc and click Feedback. A crash sends a short report by itself.
- Known limits
- No phones or tablets. Windows and Mac warn you the first time you open the game (see Help). One player hosts each online match: there are no dedicated servers.
01
WHY IT PLAYS WELL
Simple to start, hard to put down.
- Fast and fairEveryone starts equal. No random spread, no loot luck. You win on aim and movement.
- Seven ways to playFree for all, teams, a juggernaut, a moving hill, sword ball, surprise weapons and the Horde.
- The HordeEveryone on one team against waves of pink things. Each wave is bigger and faster. Wave 9 has 550.
- Bots that play properlyFill any match with bots, from easy to very hard. Play alone with no internet.
- Build your own mapsForge lets the host build on the map while everyone plays. Or build in your browser.
- No server to rentOne player hosts. Friends join from the game list or a player code. The game list never shows your address.
02
SEVEN MODES
Every mode works with friends, with bots, or both.
- HordeEveryone on one team against waves of pink things. How many waves can you clear?
- ShootbuttEveryone for themselves. Each kill is a point.
- Team ShootbuttRed team against blue team.
- FiestaTwo surprise weapons every time you come back.
- BFG BallSwords only. Carry the ball into the other team's goal.
- JuggernautOne gold giant has every gun. Beat it to become it.
- King of the HillStand in the hill alone to score. It moves every minute.
Maps today: Gorge and Hollow in the main rotation, plus test maps in the playlists: Colossus, Hippodrome, Acropolis, Harbor, Breachwall, Longreach (vehicles) and more.
03
IN THE GAME
Scroll sideways for more.
04
WILL IT RUN?
Most computers from the last ten years. Older graphics cards switch to a simpler renderer by themselves.
| WINDOWS | MAC | LINUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| System | Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit | macOS, Apple silicon or Intel | 64-bit x86 desktop Linux |
| Graphics | Vulkan, Direct3D 12 or OpenGL 3.3 | Metal | Vulkan or OpenGL 3.3 |
| Download | about 1338 MB | about 0 MB | about 0 MB |
| Input | Keyboard and mouse, or a controller. Every key can change. | ||
05
TWO MINUTES, ONCE
After this, Shootbutt keeps itself up to date. You never download it again.
- Download for Windows.Your browser saves ArenaSetup.exe. If it asks, choose Keep.
- Open ArenaSetup.exefrom your Downloads folder.
- More info, then Run anyway.Windows shows a blue box first ("Windows protected your PC"). That is normal for a new game.
- Install for me only.Then Next and Install. Shootbutt goes on your desktop.
- Play.New versions arrive on their own.
- Download for Mac.Your browser saves shootbutt-macos.zip. Safari opens it for you; if you see the zip, double-click it.
- Drag it to Applications.Use a Finder window. If you opened it from Downloads, it cannot update: quit it, drag Shootbutt.app into Applications, then open it from there.
- Open it once the special way.macOS 15 or newer: open it, click Done, then System Settings, Privacy & Security, Open Anyway, and type your Mac password. Older: right-click, Open, Open.
- Play.Allow the microphone for voice chat if it asks. It updates itself.
- Download for Linux.Your browser saves shootbutt-linux.tar.gz.
- Extract it.Right-click, Extract Here. You get a shootbutt folder.
- Run the installer.In a terminal in that folder: ./install.shNo password. It adds Shootbutt to your app menu.
- Play.Start Shootbutt from the app menu. It updates itself.
The host's pause screen
PAUSED
Online address: 203.0.113.7:7777
06
PLAY WITH FRIENDS
One of you hosts. The others join from their own homes. There is no server to rent.
- The host clicks PVP, then HOST A GAME.
- Friends click PVP, then PLAY ONLINE, find the game and click JOIN.
- Or use player codes: open FRIENDS, add each other, then JOIN PARTY or JOIN THEM.
- Optional: the host presses Esc. The pause screen shows Online address:. A friend types it on PLAY ONLINE and clicks JOIN.
WHO SEES YOUR ADDRESS
The public game list never shows anyone's address. When you join a game, your PC connects straight to the host's PC, as in any player-hosted game, so the host and the players in that game can see each other's address. Play with people you trust, or use a join code.
07
WHAT IS NEW
Your game gets these the next time it starts. You do not have to do anything.
08
QUESTIONS
Most problems have a one-line fix.
Is it free?
Yes, during the beta.
See the download button above.
Which computers does it run on?
Windows, Mac and Linux computers (64-bit). Not phones or tablets yet. It needs a keyboard and a mouse, or a controller.
Do I need a server to play online?
No. One player hosts the match on their own computer. Friends join it.
Who can see my address?
The public game list never shows anyone's address. When you join a game, your PC connects straight to the host's PC, as in any player-hosted game, so the host and the players in that game can see each other's address. Play with people you trust, or use a join code.
Can I play alone?
Yes. Press QUICK PLAY for a match against bots. No internet needed.
Does the game send data?
Only crash and error reports: the version, the system, the graphics card, the map, the mode and the error. No names, no chat, no IP address. Turn them off in Settings, Gameplay, Send crash and error reports. A child profile never sends one.
Windows says "Windows protected your PC"
That blue box is normal for a new game. Click More info, then Run anyway. You see it only when you install, not when you play.
Linux says "Permission denied" when I run ./install.sh
Some extract tools lose the "can run" mark on the file. Type sh install.sh in the shootbutt folder instead. To open a terminal there, right-click an empty part of the folder window and choose Open in Terminal.
The Mac says Shootbutt "cannot be opened" or "is damaged"
Do step 3 of the Mac install: on macOS 15 or newer, System Settings, Privacy & Security, Open Anyway. On older macOS, right-click Shootbutt and choose Open. If it still says "damaged", drag Shootbutt to Applications first, then try again.
The game shows a big "GET THE NEW VERSION" button
Sometimes a new version needs a fresh install. On Windows the game usually does this itself. If you see the button, click it. Your browser downloads the new file.
- Windows: open the new ArenaSetup.exe and do the same steps as the first time.
- Linux: extract the new shootbutt-linux.tar.gz and run
./install.shagain. - Mac: the button opens this page. Download for Mac again, drag the new Shootbutt into Applications and click Replace. Then open it the special way one more time.
Your name, settings and Forge maps stay.
I cannot join my friend's game
The host must be in a game from HOST A GAME. Look for it on PLAY ONLINE, or add each other with player codes in FRIENDS. As a last step, type the whole address from the host's pause screen (Online address:), for example 203.0.113.7:7777. If it still fails, the host's router is blocking the connection: the host turns on UPnP in the router or forwards the game port (7777), or a friend with an open router hosts.
How do I remove Shootbutt?
Windows: open the Start menu, find Shootbutt, and choose Uninstall Shootbutt. Mac: drag it from Applications to the Trash. Linux: the README.txt in the download has the command.
Optional: stop the "Unknown publisher" message
- Download arena.cer and double-click it. Click Install Certificate.
- Choose Current User, then Place all certificates in the following store, Browse, Trusted Root Certification Authorities. Click Finish, then Yes.
- Do it again with the same file, and pick Trusted Publishers.
Windows then names the publisher instead of "Unknown publisher". You do this once per PC. The blue box can still show.
09
TALK TO US
Bugs and ideas
Press Esc in the game, then Feedback. It goes straight to us.
Community
A community space and a contact address come soon.
Press and creators
A press kit (logo, screenshots and a fact sheet) comes soon. Streamer mode hides join codes on screen.