A decade in, Jackbox Games has established itself as a master of the mini-game format – and this latest crop of games from the annual franchise offers a familiar mix of instant favourites, as well as those you feel could still grow on you through further play. And, most importantly, there’s often room for you to be as rude as you’d like.
Jackbox Party Pack 10 previewDeveloper: Jackbox GamesPublisher: Jackbox GamesPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out 19th October on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Jackbox has always been a good family game choice, with its seamless smartphone controls a breeze to set up with those who may feel less at home holding a traditional game controller. But Jackbox has always been (for me at least) a far better experience post-pub with friends, when the swear filter is most definitely turned off.
It’s in this mindset I first encountered Tee KO, the Jackbox 3 favourite where you combine drawings and slogans to sell your best T-shirt design to friends (and then also have the chance to buy them, printed up by Jackbox itself).Jackbox 10 includes Tee KO 2, and it is pretty much the same game you may remember – although now you can print onto sweatshirts and tanktops as well (and buy those in real-life too). It’s not the first time Jackbox has brought back a previous game, though there’s really nothing here to distinguish it as a proper sequel. A strong returnee, let down only by its familiari-T.
Next up is Timejinx, a new take on the trivia genre based around numerical answers. What year did man land on the moon? When did women gain the right to vote in the US state of Tennessee? (It’s at this point you remember to turn on the game’s US filter, so the questions become a little more international.) The closest answer wins, with penalty points given in increasing amounts the more your answer differs. There are also bonus rounds where you can see your penalty points reduced, to minimise any trivia shame. The whole thing is dressed up as a kitsch-y time travel theme, and it’s a decent enough general knowledge game overall.