I've never had the pleasure of sampling a Jackbox Party Pack, but James has and he seemed to like it: He described Split the Room, from last year's Jackbox Party Pack 5, as "an agonizing and hilarious party game" that made him a little uncomfortable at times. ("Tortured" is the word he actually used, which I think might be a little overwrought, but I'd also babysit an angry giraffe for free so it could be that I'm just coming at it from a different perspective.)
Maybe I'll have a chance to try my luck with the new Jackbox Party Pack, the sixth, that went live today on Steam. Like its predecessors, it's a collection of five party games with support for up to ten people in local multiplayer—and one of which can actually be played solo, if that's your idea of a party.
Here's what's on tap:
- Trivia Murder Party 2 – A trivia game where the host is a serial killer and you'll have to fight for your life "in a variety of absurd and challenging mini-games" when you get an answer wrong. (1-8 players)
- Dictionarium – Create new, probably stupid definitions for words that don't actually exist. (3-8 players)
- Push the Button – A sci-fi social deduction game where you'll complete bizarre writing and drawing tasks in order to hunt down the aliens among you. (4-10 players)
- Joke Boat – Become a stand-up comedian on a crappy cruise ship. (3-8 players)
- Role Models – Be a guinea pig for a mad scientists in order to learn more about yourself and those around you. (3-6 players)
Settings in Jackbox Party Pack 6 include passworded games, manual censoring, subtitles, and family-friendly modes. If you'd rather strut your stuff publicly, "up to 10,000 additional audience members can join specific games to affect their final outcome." This inclusivity is one of the things folks on our team have liked about the Jackbox games—that any internet-connected device can play along via a "match code" that allows anyone to join.
The Jackbox Party Pack 6 is available on Steam and Humble for $25/£20/€21, 17 percent off the regular $30 price, until October 24. You can also pick it up from the Epic Games Store, but it's not currently on sale there.