Jackbox Party Pack 3 Review

Publisher: Jackbox Games

Developer: Jackbox Games

Platforms: PC, PS4 (reviewed), Xbox One

Release date: October 20, 2016

We’ve all been there. It’s Friday night and it’s your turn to host a little shindig. But what to do? Nobody wants to play video games with you. “Those are for kids!” or “Which button is go?” are common Gaming Muggle phrases we, the nerdy, have heard far too often. So what is a nerd to do? Talk? Connect on an emotional level? Never! Solution: Jackbox Party Pack 3.

The Jackbox Party Pack series is the greatest thing to happen to couch co-op since four-player split screen. You’ll always have enough “controllers” because the game only requires a web-enabled device to play. And most of us have one of those fancy cellular telephones in our pockets so everyone can play. Just sign into jackbox.tv and enter the room key to get the party started with any of the five excellent games included in the bundle.

Quiplash 2 (3-8 players)

Quiplash 2 is ridiculous. You’re likely familiar with this style of game thanks to prolific games like Cards Against Humanity, Apples to Apples, or Quiplash. Players enter free-text responses to open-ended prompts or fill-in-the-blank style questions and hilarity ensues. The best and worst part of this game is it entirely relies on your friends having a great sense of humor. Luckily, my friends are hilarious so I had a great time with Quiplash 2.

Trivia Murder Party (1-8 players)

Have you ever seen that movie Saw? This is exactly the same except nobody dies. And instead of a gauntlet of death-defying tests, players answer multiple-choice trivia questions. But get it wrong and you have to cut off a finger – in the game. This was the easiest of the five games to jump in to. The spooky twists and hilarious host mix things up just enough for this to be more than just another trivia game.

Guesspionage (2-8 players)

I’m too cheap to be a betting man but Guesspionage satisfies that gambler’s urge that hides deep within me (and you, let’s be fair). Do you know what percentage of people ride their bikes to work at least once per week? Probably not, but take a guess and set the over/under line. Get close and earn points (and bragging rights) while your friends guess if the real answer is higher or lower. Even if your way off, the shock and surprise takes the sting out of being bad at things. Guesspionage is receptively simple and  my personal favorite of the bunch.

Tee K.O. (3-8 players)

Tee K.O. is interesting but not for everyone. I suppose that’s fair to say for any of these but my experience with this game, in particular, felt rather jarring. The “game” doesn’t begin until after you create two random drawings – no Drawful-esque prompts here – followed by off-the-top-of-your-head taglines, quotes, or phrases. Once all the “art” is submitted, players will create clever combinations of drawings and taglines. Sometimes, the combos are pure gold but for the most part, I found them to be underwhelming. Then again, that probably says more about my artistic talent than anything.

Fakin’ It (3-6 players)

Fakin’ It is the most original game in the Jackbox Party Pack 3. Every player will be sent a Secret Task to raise her hand, point, make a face, or otherwise physically react. The trick is that one person will secretly be assigned to be the “faker” and will not receive any information. Instead, the faker is encouraged to “fit in.” I definitely had some explaining to do when, as the faker, I ignorantly raised my hand to “Raise your hand if you’ve ever gone skinny dipping.” And by “explaining” I mean lying, of course. “Sure, I’ve gone skinny dipping…who hasn’t?” If that isn’t enough, just wait until paranoia runs rampant as the group tries to solve the mystery. As the faker, it’s insanely satisfying to watch the group chase down the wrong person – especially because they are always convinced they’re on the right track. Amazing.

Final Verdict

The fun isn’t limited to the living room. The Jackbox Party Pack series is a Twitch darling and allows for . The whole operation is web-based so anyone can join from anywhere in the world. The only thing keeping this package from global domination is the significant delay between the live game and Twitch stream. These games are all based on a timer so when the Twitch stream tells the players/audience they have 25 seconds left, they actually only have about five. This can be an insurmountable hurdle for many but also represents an opportunity for future games to conquer.

Twitch streaming issues aside, Jackbox Party Pack 3 is one of the easiest recommendations of the year. Of the five games, there is something for everyone. And that’s just perfect because anyone can play! The games are simple, hilarious, quick, and accessible. Introverted party hosts rejoice! You now have a new safety net to fall into.