After developing three You Don’t Know Jack titles, Jackbox Games branched out and began releasing collections of party games in 2014, which have proven to be very successful. They turn game night into a digital experience that can be shared with friends in other locations. At this point, eight Party Packs have been released, totaling 40 different Jackbox party games, some much more popular than others. It can be difficult for a newcomer to the series to know which party pack to purchase first, and so Jackbox is developing the Jackbox Party Starter.
The most recent compilation of games is the Jackbox Party Pack 8, which released in October 2021 and received predominantly positive reviews. It contains five titles, including Drawful Animate, a revamped version of one of Jackbox’s most popular games. Jackbox games require at least two people to play and, depending on the specific title, can support up to 10 players and 1000 audience members.
The Jackbox Party Starter will be released at an unspecified date in Summer 2022 and will contain three previously released games that the company believes will be a sure hit for players, new and old alike. Although the specific titles haven’t been revealed yet, Jackbox has clarified that the Party Starter will include updated versions of the games and will feature French, Italian, German, and Spanish localization. According to Jackbox Games, the Party Starter will be the “light to your sparkler and the sugar to your cookies.”
The developer curating a special collection of games that are presumably some of the most popular is a great idea, especially now that there are already eight previous releases and Jackbox Party Pack 9 has been announced for this fall. With each pack retailing for $29.99 and containing five games, each year it becomes increasingly tough for newcomers to decide which to buy. Jackbox Games has already released a few other bundles over the years to help people out, but now that there are several of those, it adds to the difficulty. Luckily, on some platforms like the PlayStation 4, a Jackbox Party Pack demo is available.
Some of the most popular Jackbox games, such as Drawful 2, Quiplash, and Fibbage XL, can also be purchased separately on certain platforms. But at $9.99, it might be a better deal to buy the specific Jackbox Party Pack that includes that game. The general consensus is that each pack usually contains at least one big hit that will appeal to players across the board, a couple of games whose success depends on the people playing, and maybe one or two that are fun but don’t quite hit the mark.
Jackbox Party Starter is currently in development for a Summer 2022 release.
Source: Jackbox
