Review: The Jackbox Party Pack (Xbox One)

Content Warning:

-Some adult content in questions and trivia (relatively mild)

-If you stream this game and play with anonymous people, you are open to words or pictures drawn at their discretion

The team behind You Don’t Know Jack has outdone themselves. They have compiled five outstanding party games into one downloadable game. The beauty behind these games is that you only need one copy; all of your friends can play on their smartphones, tablets, or computers. Each player logs into the Jackbox.TV website and enters a 4-digit code to get into the game. Let’s talk about the available games.

You Don’t Know Jack 2015

If you don’t know You Don’t Know Jack, then you don’t know fun trivia. The game takes place using several rounds and various modes of play in which you answer trivia questions or select the appropriate answer to get points. The game is hosted by the hilarious Cookie Masterson as he jibs and jabs funny quips (much like a gameshow host). The game can be played with 1-4 players.

Fibbage XL

A bluffing game where you are asked a question and have to make up an answer. Once you make up the answer, all the players answers are displayed on the screen and you have to vote on which answer is correct. You get points if you guess the correct answer or other players guess your answer to be the correct one. This lasts three rounds and can lead to some funny conversations. More questions have been added to Fibbage XL in addition to the questions from the original Fibbage. The game can be played with 2-8 players. Click here for our Fibbage review posted earlier this year.

Drawful

Think Pictionary meets Fibbage. This is one of my very favorite games to play. You begin the game by drawing your own avatar, which is displayed on screen for all to see. You are then given a word or phrase to draw (usually non-related words). You have only a limited time to draw said word. Once all players have drawn their pictures they are then displayed on the screen and each player has to guess what the picture represents. Once all guesses are in, players then vote on which answer is correct. If someone guesses your answer, you get points; if you guess the correct answer, you also get points. This game was the most popular among friends while streaming. The only concern is the content that players draw can be inappropriate. The game can be played with 3-8 players.

Word Spud

A word is given and a player is chosen to complete the word with another word or phrase. Once the word is submitted, the other players can give it a “yes” or “no.” If it gets enough “yeses,” it will become the new word for another chosen player to complete. Players earn points by other players giving a “yes” vote for their entry. You can also lose points if players don’t “like” your word. This game type was not as popular among players during my stream, but it was still a lot of fun. The game can be played with 2-8 players. There is more room for adult content in the answers with Word Spud.

Lie Swatter

This game can be played with up to 100 people, which is funny because I will never have 100 people in my home; that being said, it’s perfect for streaming with a large audience. Lie Swatter gives you random facts, and asks you to decide whether they are true or false. You get points for the correct answer. Up to 100 players! So much fun.

Conclusion

With the holidays coming up and people coming together, this is an absolutely essential game to enjoy hours upon hours of entertainment. The only requirements are smart devices or laptop computers to play the games.

Let me just say how cool the Jackbox company is to put together this whole package. In addition to making fun games that people can enjoy, Mike Bilder, founder of the company, plays the games himself. In fact, as I was streaming the game, he and his wife joined in on my game and played with myself and my viewers. There is no reason not to love these games. I asked Mike “Why make these games?” and his response was “We love party games that bring people together. The Jackbox Party Pack is inspired by gameplay we enjoy. It’s a labor of love for the team at Jackbox Games. One purchase that offers 5 games and hours of fun with family and friends… or with strangers via twitch.”

The games retail on PS4 and Xbox One for approximately $24.99.

Buy some virtual money below.