The latest instalment of the Jackbox series has arrived The Jackbox Party Pack 11, and it marks a significant milestone as the eleventh annual pack. Having spent some time with the full collection since its release, here is a look at the five new titles you can get stuck into just in time for Christmas with the family!
βDoominate
βJackbox fans will recognise elements of Doominate as a “ruined” spin on Quiplash, blended with the tactical territory-claiming energy of Dictionarium. In this game, you take perfectly wholesome or basic prompts and destroy them with the most chaotic or hilarious answers you can muster. More votes equals more dominance on the board as you fight to claim spaces, and the player who spreads the most “doom” by the close of the game wins. These player-driven writing games have served the series well, and Doominate is a standout for those who enjoy quick-fire wit. It doesn’t quite hold the charm and open nature of Quiplash, but it is surely a fun half-hour to spend with friends!
βHear Say
βHear Say is something different for Jackbox that Iβve thoroughly enjoyed. A foley-inspired title that moves away from typing and into sound, the game is mildly reminiscent of Ear Wax from a previous party pack iteration, but this time instead of choosing from a sound bank you have to make your vocalisations yourself. Players record sound effects and dialogue directly into their phones to match various prompts, which are then stitched together in short, often bizarre movie clips. It is a hilarious game that drives heavy laughter and breeds certain confusion as you try to replicate complex sounds with just your voice. Best played with a raucous group willing to be loud, itβs one of the most unique additions to the pack.
βCookie Haus
βPerhaps the most approachable of the new games in Jackbox Party Pack 11, Cookie Haus is a drawing title that challenges your creativity under a bit of “baking” pressure. In this game, you are given a cookie base and must use various icing tools and sprinkles to decorate it according to a specific prompt. Your peers then appraise your sugary creation against the competition to see who is the master baker. The prompts range from simple designs to representative “masterpieces,” offering a huge mix of fun in this rapidly sweet and nonsensical title. As Jackbox drawing games go, this is by far the most unique and fun-natured in some time!
βSuspectives
βSuspectives is the new social deduction title in Jackbox Party Pack 11, and a personal favorite for its investigative twist. On a simple level, the game challenges players to solve a crime based on “evidence” that is actually pulled from the players’ own survey answers. You must create a persona, act as your character would, and try to win the trust of your friends while putting the real culprit on trial. One of the most fun features is the unstoppable inception of heated debate as you try to defend your innocence while pointing the finger at your friends against the clock. The epitome of Jackbox social deduction titles to date, this was the most involved and obsessive game on the collection for me and my friends.
βLegends of Trivia
βLegends of Trivia, as the name suggests, is a spin on a now-Jackbox classic game style but with a cooperative spin. An absolute departure from the standard individual point-hoarding, this is a “trivia dungeon crawl” where your crew works together to take down fantastical foes. Rather than competing against each other, your collective brainpower is what saves the realm. Itβs a refreshing evolution of the foundational trivia format, providing great, clean, general knowledge fun for groups that prefer collaboration over competition. However, the game did divide opinion amongst my group and was probably the least renowned addition to this latest suite of titles.
βOther notable features
With Jackbox Party Pack 11 here we once again supported by great, ongoing localization and the careful integration of accessibility features. Jackbox Party Pack 11 continues the theme with options such as alt-text descriptions for videos and accessibility improvements specifically designed for screen readers. A lot of overt consideration has gone into ensuring anyone can play, and for these efforts, the developers should be heartily commended.
βVerdict
βAs ever, The Jackbox Party Pack 11 offers an array of entertaining and comedic minigames, each of which is fundamentally different to the last and bears its own unique merits. The mix of sound-based recording, cooperative trivia, and creative baking holds up to the high standards that these games have set over the years, and with no standout weak points to speak of. Now available on all major platforms, itβs a real winner for the holiday season – perfect for enjoying after a hearty Christmas lunch!
The Jackbox Party Pack 11 Trailer
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The game was provided to us for the express purpose of reviewing.
The review was written by me and edited by my partner.
