Jackbox isn’t rocket science but we take our task of silliness seriously. We’re proud of our Chicago comedy roots, and every aspect of our games is high-touch to set fans up for a successful night.
What sets The Jackbox Party Pack 12 apart? It’s a pack especially focused on helping players build deeper human connection in fun ways. We’re excited to share more about what to expect this fall, along with some work-in-progress screens from each of the games.
We Forgot a Card
For Party Pack 12, we wanted to lean into the special events our games are often paired with. “We were inspired by all the funny cliches around greeting cards,” says Studio Creative Director Arnie Niekamp, “and that familiar feeling of being in a not-great store but you have to find something fast because you’re already late to a party.”
Players design a card that fits an unusual gathering with limited time and bizarre options, pairing stock imagery with player-written taglines for the funniest outcome. “‘Quick, get to the jokes’ is practically the theme of this game,” says Niekamp. In the final round, players create a talking plush to pair with their card. It’s a gift that keeps on giving!
MegaPals
In MegaPals, players are given a one-word prompt and must submit as many associated words as they can before the timer runs out. Points come from matching with other players. Match the most and you’re MegaPals! “We were inspired by folk games like Mind Meld and Contact where you try to think alike in very few words,” says Game Director Alina Constantin. “The pitch was an idea from Editorial Lead Liz Anderson. We wanted to spotlight the common takes as well as the weird misses, and allow players to riff off their group’s train of thought.”
Prompts for subsequent rounds are based on player inputs, giving the game endless replayability. “This game is great for players who enjoy adding a personal flair to simple word association and discovering unexpected compatibilities,” says Constantin.
Idol Factions
Idol Factions is a team-based game where words are served up to be sorted into the right category. The words don’t stop coming, so players must communicate and work together to land them in the right spot. “This game was pitched by Lead Engineer Chase McClure and started as a solo experience. Even then, Chase had made it so that players had to communicate quickly and clearly, which was immediately fun,” says Game Director Warren Arnold, “We want players to be the right amount of stressed out.”
“This game is going to be perfect for gathering on a big ol’ comfy couch so you can scream your heads off about why an answer belongs in the category ‘Type of Cheese’ and not ‘The Last Name of a British Prime Minister.’” said Arnold.
Debate and Switch
In Debate and Switch, you’re in a town hall that has gone sideways. Everything up for discussion is a bizarre hypothetical and you need to form an opinion and defend it. Fast. “The original inspiration was the movie Rat Race, and then I realized there was already a board game version of what I was working on: Pricetitution. So we ditched the terrible scenarios and pricing and delved more into debate mechanics.” says Nate Sandberg, Senior Audio Lead, who originally pitched the game.
“We loved building out the running characters, created by Senior Art Lead, Hector M Padilla, to act as voters during debates. Those little guys are just the best,” says Game Director Michael Siciliano, “It was harder to hone in on tone for the debate topics. We’ve had to pivot on exactly how strange or detailed they get. Allowing players to craft their own topics was an evolution we’re really excited for people to play with.”
Hyperface
In Party Pack 11, we played with the phone’s microphone for Hear Say. In Party Pack 12, we’re playing with the camera! In Hyperface, players edit a photo in response to a prompt. Players can choose to use a stock photo or they can take a selfie and edit their face in wild ways. “The reveal is often the highlight,” says Game Director Tim Sniffen. Seeing what others chose to do, whether going all-out or doing a tiny subtle eyebrow-raise, is usually the high point of any playthrough.”
We want players to smudge, squash, stretch, and draw on their photos to create the wildest result possible. “Who among us hasn’t added a mustache to a magazine photo? If you’re ready for the power-user version, where you’re smudging someone’s nose like it’s made of taffy, this game is for you,” says Sniffen.
The Jackbox Party Pack 12 is coming to PS4 and PS5 this fall.