When wanting to play a game with friends that is all about having a good time and not getting too overwhelmed, the best place to look is at The Jackbox Party Pack. The series has been around for nearly a decade and has consistently released yearly batches of party games for people to enjoy.
Its most recent iteration is The Jackbox Party Pack 9, which features five new experiences for groups to participate in. It includes another sequel to a game that has frequently appeared in the pack, as well as four brand-new experiences that may attract both new and returning fans of the franchise.
5 Nonsensory
Many games over Jackbox Party Pack history have tested the player's ability to look at a prompt and properly execute it in a way that other people can guess what they are trying to portray. This is put to the test in a big way in the new game Nonsensory.
Hosted by a monkey scientist named Professor Nanners, players will be told to draw or state something that falls within a specific range. After doing so, other players will have to guess whether the result of what the player made falls into that range. Those who guess properly, and the player themselves, will be rewarded.
An example in the game includes drawing something that falls somewhere between the two sides of a spectrum of "grape" and "fish." If players are asked to draw something that is "70 percent grape, 30 percent fish," players must try to interpret that the best they can through their drawing.
4 Junktopia
Player presentations are also a frequent occurrence in the history of Jackbox Party Pack, but in Junktopia, everyone has been turned into frogs by a wizard. This wizard has acquired many wares that have boring backstories, so he wants the group to figure out a new hilarious way to describe the objects.
In the first two rounds, each individual will get to purchase an item. They must give a name and then offer two facts about the item. After this, each player will then give a presentation about their item to help win over the rest of the group. Players will then give votes for each item they like, which will be added to the total cash everyone receives.
In the final round, players will get to name the entire collection of items they pitched, with everyone voting for the collection name they like the best. The person with the most cash, which includes money lost from purchases, will be crowned the winner.
3 Quixort
It is always a good time to get tested on some trivia during party games. Jackbox Party Pack 9's exclusive trivia game is a new property called Quixort. Unlike the other games in this pack, this game can be played both alone or with multiple people. The main version of the game pits two teams against each other.
The objective of Quixort is to sort blocks based on a prompt that is given at the top of the screen. Sorting does get difficult as players are only given one block at a time and must work around it as they are given each block. Along the way, players may be given a block that doesn't fit in at all. The team with the most points scored after a few rounds wins.
The single-player mode works similarly, where the player will be given a prompt to sort blocks. However, the game keeps going, and the player will continue to get new prompts. The goal is to survive for as long as possible before the blocks hit the top of the screen.
2 Fibbage 4
The only returning series for this iteration of Jackbox Party Pack, Fibbage 4 brings back the hilarity of duping players into thinking something completely made up is the truth. Once again, the game comes with two modes: Fibbage and Fibbage Enough About You.
The main Fibbage mode gives players a series of prompts where they have to fill in the blank. However, all players must first enter a lie. These lies are then scatter among the truth and everyone must select what they think is the true statement. The winner is the person with the most points, which includes finding the right answer and making others fall for their falsehoods.
Fibbage Enough About You is a bit more personal where players are asked a question about a single player. That player must answer truthfully while everyone else lies. Everyone except the subject of the question will then vote for what they think the right answer is.
1 Roomerang
Ever wanted to be part of a reality show competition? Jackbox Party Pack 9 has its spin on the genre with Roomerang, a game all about answering prompts and trying to avoid being eliminated by the other contestants.
Each person has their own unique avatar that they select before hopping into the game. Once in the house together, players answer prompts that they are given on their devices. Players vote for which answers they like the most, with the winner getting some sort of advantage. Then, a second vote unfolds to decide who gets eliminated.
The person with the most votes is voted out, but that isn't the end of their story. Since it is called Roomerang, a "new" person enters the game, which is essentially the same person but under a new name and disguise. Playing continues until the final round where there is one last plea for victory, and the individual with the most points is crowned.
Jackbox Party Pack 9 is out now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Mac.