Being in quarantine leaves a stormy mix of emotions as we try to make sense of the new normal. Happiness, sadness, anger, boredom, and many other feelings swirl around in our mind — sometimes changing within a single day.
Uncertainty is the name of the game as humanity collectively goes through a historic event that will be memorialized for years to come. There’s no foolproof blueprint for mapping the way, with everyone from government officials in Washington DC to Powersports dealers in places like Louisiana trying their best and taking it day by day.
While it is vital to observe social distancing guidelines and practice proper hygiene, taking care of one’s mental health is equally crucial during this crisis. Journaling, talking to friends, and cutting down on social media are great examples to manage one’s moods. But there’s nothing like a good game night with Jackbox Party to take your mind off things and enjoy the company of others.
What are the Jackbox Party games?
Since 2014, Jackbox Games, Inc. has released collections of easy-to-play party games with varying themes from drawing and trivia games to going head-to-head in a rap battle. Only one person needs to acquire the game, which is then hosted on a laptop screen or TV. In the remote play, as customary in quarantine, the owner can share their screen through any video chat application for others to follow what’s going on. Other players, within two to eight people, can join by using a web browser on their mobile phones by simply keying the room code. The phones also serve as the controller to interact with the game’s prompts. No downloads, no extra mobile applications, and no fuss.
Putting a premium on accessibility, the party packs are available on a wide variety of digital platforms, whether you’re a laptop user, Apple TV owner, or a console gamer. The developers even added the audience option for people wanting to play beyond the maximum cap of direct players, which is typically used on streaming sites like Twitch. Most of their games can support up to 10,000 audience members, which can influence a game’s outcome during judgment through voting phases.
What to Get?
There are currently six party packs to choose from, with another one to be released by the end of the year. Choosing what collection works for you will depend on your friend group’s tastes and preferences. Different strokes for different folks as the saying goes. The best games suggested by reviews might flop and lose their novelty if the group is not into the concept. On the other hand, you can find rare gems among the lists of “please skip this,” which will be a shame to pass over because you followed someone else’s opinions instead of generating your thoughts.
If you’re still lost on what to get, the Jackbox Party Pack 3 is a safe bet for newcomers. Party Pack 3 provides a good tasting menu on the kinds of games one can expect from other packs. There’s Trivia Murder Party, which is a trivia quiz show with a horror escape theme, Quiplash 2, where the wittiest punchline wins, and Fakin’ It for players who love to feign innocence while betraying their friends. The pack also offers two more games with the potential to generate laughs and head scratches.
The strength of the Jackbox Party Games lies in its variety, accessibility, and low barriers of entry. All you need are a group of friends, one copy of the game, and mobile phones. Unfortunately, a sense of humor is not included in every purchase. You have to hone that skill on your own.