From rooms at conventions to house parties, nothing brings on the fun quite like a Jackbox Party Pack. Each pack contains five different games with wacky themes and unique gameplay to keep a crowd happy. These games still remain hits with the outbreak of COVID-19 as many can be played remotely. What we're trying to say is that Jackbox Games knows how to put together a great gaming experience.
Still, no company is capable of perfection. Not all games are created equal and some are bound to be duds. No one wants to bring down a party by suggesting a boring game so people should make sure they know the best ones to bring to the table.
35 Civic Doodle
Players without serious art skills will want to avoid Civic Doodle. While many Jackbox games have players draw, this one requires them to do it well. The strange amalgamations of drawings players create just don't bring on the laughs like stronger games can.
34 Role Models
Role Models is a unique idea for a social deduction game but sadly falls flat. The idea of breaking down who might be the getaway driver vs the muscle in an epic heist seems fun on the surface but simply works better as a conversation than a structured game. Skip Role Models and play something that packs a punch.
33 Zeeple Dome
Zeeple Dome is often considered one of the worst games in the series. This little action game might be fun for those who never have picked up other games before but that's honestly it. The dev team obviously put some love into this game and it's exciting to see Jackbox Games try something new but it honestly fell flat. In the end, it's better to fling this game into the do not play pile than to fling the player characters on screen.
32 Word Spud
Word Spud was released with the first party pack in the series and it's easy to tell the design team wasn't quite in the groove yet with this one. Heck, they even poke fun at the game on their own website. There are better things that could be done with a potato, like writing on one in real life to pass around instead of doing so in a game. There's a reason Word Spud 2 won't be released until 3145
31 Bidiots
The best Jackbox games deliver high-quality fun within a simple set of rules. Bidiots does neither of these things. There's something to be said for the chaos of the game giving it appeal but there are likely too many rules to learn for this to be a quick pick up and play game a party needs.
Still, it's worth being said that bidding thousands of dollars on a friend's stick figure drawing is an amusing concept. In a less hectic setting like a call on Discord, players could take the time to learn all of the rules and make this one a bit more fun.
30 Joke Boat
Mokokoma Mokhonoana said, “98% of all comedians feel obliged to be funny when interviewed. Less than 2% succeed.” If we interviewed Joke Boat, it would be in the 98% category. The game is supposed to help players craft good jokes but is far too restrictive to allow the creativity needed to do so. Throw this one overboard.
29 Lie Swatter
There's no denying a game that can host up to one-hundred players at once is impressive. The problem is that it's the most impressive part of Lie Swatter. In the end, it's just a true or false version of Kahoot. At least players can try it for free if they have an Alexa.
28 Guesspionage
This game is a weird fusion between Family Feud and the classic party game Never Have I Ever. Players have to guess what percentage of people answered yes or no to particular questions. Yes, that's about the entire gist of the game. It's considered the worst game in the third party pack but is the easiest game to learn in the entire series. This one could still be okay for playing with family or friends with no experience playing games.
27 Dictionarium
Pssst, Jackbox? We see you copying Balderdash! Still, the board game has been in print since 1984 for good reason so it makes sense they might use it as inspiration. Dictionarium feels more like filler than anything, especially with better word games like Quiplash on the roster. It's fun, but not something players will come back to often.
26 You Don't Know Jack 2015
This is the one that put Jackbox Games on the map all the way back in 1995. Well, it's the 2015 version of the game that put Jackbox Games on the map all the way back in 1995 anyway. Were those sentences too long? Oh right, the list!
This is the kind of wacky humor players can expect when firing up this trivia title. It's not that You Don't Know Jack 2015 is bad, it's more that its sequel in the Jackbox games line is just that much better. If weird trivia with even weirder presentation is what players are looking for, this game provides it in spades.
25 Talking Points
This game seems to be quite hit or miss. In some games the "lol random" humor of the images presented leaves so much to be inspired. In other games, players will be rolling around the floor laughing. Plus this game can create awkward moments when someone with a fear of public speaking is chosen to speak, in public, and improvise. Anyone can learn public speaking skills but it's a bad idea to try in such a high-pressure setting.
24 Earwax
Earwax is just Apples to Apples with sound effects but to be fair that board game was a best seller for a reason. The game doesn't work well in loud spaces since players need to hear the sounds and with it being a party game that can be a problem. Players that get sick of repetitive noises will also tire of this one quite quickly.
23 Push The Button
Games like Town of Salem have proven that social deduction games can be a blast but Push The Button seems to divide players down the middle. On one hand, the game can be quite deep when it comes to figuring out which player is the alien. On the other hand, that can be too much for casual party-goers to want to focus on. In the end, Among Us did the alien imposter bit better and is also available for free.
22 Blather 'Round
Another game inspired by a board game, Blather 'Round plays similarly to Taboo but is far more restrictive. This can create a good challenge but may be too much for players just looking to have fun. There's a lot of pressure on the person presenting topics but they are allowed to select the difficulty of what they have to present. Overall it's a solid game, there's just better Jackbox games out there.
21 Bracketeering
Bracketeering can be played by 16 players at a time, one of the highest numbers in a Jackbox game. This makes it perfect for parties or even just Twitch streamers wanting to play in a big group. It's easy to approach and running through a bracket in the game is incredibly satisfying.
The problem with Bracketeering is that unless there's a big group to play it's likely better to just pop in Quiplash. It's not that Bracketeering won't cause some laughs, it's just that other games do the funny quip about a topic idea better.
20 Monster Seeking Monster
Sometimes we just want to date a monster alright? Monster Seeking Monster has a quirky theme for a social deduction game that will draw players in who enjoy the occult. The toughest problem with this title is without a bit of a sense of humor it can feel a bit dry. The fun isn't just in completing goals, it's about playing out goofy dating website stereotypes with friends. Those not into roleplaying may find the game dull.
19 Fakin' It
This one doesn't work as well in a socially distanced world but is fantastic when people can hang out in a group. Fakin' It has players all using a non-verbal queue to describe a topic The twist: one player gets a different topic to act out. The faker then has to try and blend in with the other players so they don't get caught. This can be a fun game but occasionally the faker is caught far too easily as their action was just too obviously out of place.
18 Bomb Corp
Bomb Corp is fascinating compared to other Jackbox games. The game actually has a story mode and is more cooperative than most of the other games in the series. Defusing bombs with friends is a novel idea but as the game only plays four it's more likely people will want to choose one of the more entertaining four-player options.
17 Quiplash 3
Quiplash has always been one of the best Jackbox games in existence and Quiplash 3 maintains that quality. The game gives a visual overhaul to Quiplash with a unique claymation style. So why isn't it higher on the list? Quiplash 3 is fun but adds a lot of extra fluff that doesn't necessarily improve the original formula. The Thriplash at the end is a bit messy and make it slightly weaker than the other Quiplash options available.
16 You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream
Full Stream adds just the right level of content to the You Don't Know Jack formula. It's the first You Don't Know Jack game to support eight players making it an even better party game than ever before. It even allows an audience of 10,000 players to tune in which is absolutely massive!
The weird trivia game has tons of Easter eggs and special interactions for players to uncover. Try naming a player Gavin in the game and see what happens! There is even a special episode with the real Jimmy Fallon asking questions. With so many episodes to go through, players have a lot to discover while having fun.