Online multiplayer games can be great fun but nothing beats getting together with your real mates. When you’re all sat together in the same room multiplayer games are just a lot more fun. The Jackbox Party Pack 2, from Jackbox Games (You Don’t Know Jack), is the successor to last year’s The Jackbox Party Pack.
This year’s Party Pack features a selection of five party games – Fibbage 2 (2-8 players), Earwax (3-8 players), Bidiots (3-6 player), Quiplash XL (3-8 players) and Bomb Corp (1-4 players). To get the most out of the game it is best to play with more people. To get started each player also needs some kind of Internet enabled device such as a smartphone, tablet or even a PC.
When you start a game it gives you a unique four-letter code to access your room. Each player must then go to jackbox.tv via their devices web browser. Once on the site you each enter the room code and your name. As each player registers they appear in the game on your main screen and some games also let you choose a funny sound to represent your player.
Fibbage 2 is a game about bluffing your fellow players. One player picks a topic then the game picks one of over 500 random questions. Each player must then fill in a blank word or phrase via their device. It works well if players pick something that is believable and even better if it’s funny. The game will then show each bluff along with one of its own as well as the real answer.
Players must then each use their devices to pick an answer. The game then shows on screen who picked what. If a player picks your lie then you are awarded points. Pick the lie from the game and you lose points. The players who pick the truth get the most points.
As the game progresses more points become available. Players also have the ability to use a one-time ability that clears all but two answers in the hope of picking the correct one. Fibbage 2 is hilarious and definitely the best game in the pack.
In Earwax one player is cast as the judge while the game picks a funny sentence. Sometimes these also involve one of the players which adds to the fun. Each player must then pick two sounds from a random selection to represent that sentence. The judge must then pick their favourite response and the person who created it gets a point.
Bidiots is a game about bidding on art pieces. Most of the fun here is because players get given a topic and must draw their own art. For example in one game we had to draw ‘A plate of Human Ears’, some ‘Night Vision Goggles’ and a ‘Lasagne’.
Player drawings tend to be pretty crude because you only have a white canvas and black ink. This usually results in some really funny pictures. Once you’ve drawn your pictures each player gets messages from an ‘art critic’ giving tips on what certain pieces of art are worth.
You also get new tips at the start of each round. Players can use the tips to decide how much money from their budget to bid. You can also ‘screw’ a player of choice by forcing them to bid. The aim is to make the most profit by the end of the bidding.
Quiplash XL is similar to Earwax but players must enter their own answer to various prompts. Players must then all vote for their favourite answer. It’s also possible here to have up to 10,000 audience members to vote to influence the outcome. The easiest way to get audience members seems to be to put out your room code via social media. As you can enter your own answers this is another game which can be insanely funny and have you all in hysterics.
The final game is Bomb Corp. which is the only game that can be played solo. It’s a logic game but a bit boring solo. However with a few mates it becomes a game of co-operation. You are given tasks most of which are defusing bombs. The game then gives each player part of a set of instructions on their device. You must work together to understand the instructions before the nominated player gets to cut the correct wires.
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If you are successful you move onto the next challenge but if you fail then the bomb will explode. There is also a mini-game here which revolves around filing records and you have to put them in the correct order, one mistake and it is game over. This is probably the weakest game in the pack.
With a few friends or family members Jackbox Party Pack 2 is going to provide hours of fun. The games can be absolutely hilarious and are a perfect choice of entertainment for your next gathering. However, as it works best with more players it’s not recommended if you have less than 3 regular players.
The Jackbox Party Pack 2 was reviewed using an Xbox One digital download code supplied by Jackbox Games.
Publisher: Jackbox Games Developer: Jackbox Games Age Rating: 12 Release Date: October 13, 2015 Reviewed On: Xbox One Also available on: PC, Mac, PS4 and PS3
