Here are the Best Jackbox Games for Streaming
OK SPORTSFANS. It’s time. It is time for the blog you’ve all been waiting for. It’s the blog about the BEST JACKBOX GAMES TO STREAM.
You’ve been clamoring for this piece for years, nay, decades - which game can I play with my online community that will be enjoyable for both the watching and the playing? First of all, you have an online community? Ok, brag. Secondly, I’m here to help you. Accept my help!
Typically the company line here would be to say “Oh, all of Jackbox’s many offerings are equally delightful to be streamed online! Purchase all of the Party Packs post-haste!” I won’t do that to you, gentle reader. That would be a disservice to both you, and to us! It’s ok for games to be good for some things and not for others. They’re much like humans that way! Grandma’s great for cookies, but maybe not the best for clinching the fencing World Championships, yaknow?
I’ve been streaming exclusively Jackbox games for about a year now (hello, The Bench), and in that time, I’ve figured out which games make for smooth, entertaining gameplay. These are games that you can easily run, play, and moderate.
So! Here are MY picks, broken down by “genre” of game.
- Trivia - Jackbox trivia games are typically a good bet for engaging with your audience - you know, the “games” in your video games. Of all our offerings, I feel like Fibbage 3 is the best fit for your needs. Fibbage 3 presents challenging, funny trivia in what I can only describe as a soothing pace. Lots of space to talk over the game, audience options that can really change the outcome, and very few quicktime moments that could be ruined by a slower stream. The Fibbage “Enough About You” expansion in Fibbage 3 is just the cherry on top for creating a fun gaming experience tailored to your community.
- Drawing - C’mon. C’moooooooon. You know what I’m going to say here, right? It’s Tee K.O.! Literally, the content of Tee K.O. is ready-made memes. For new players, Tee K.O. only asks two things of our players - draw pictures, and make up phrases. Easy enough right? But that simplicity leads to truly funny, community-driven moments. Plus, each of the shirts you create can be ordered as real, for real-real, shirts! Anyone can buy the works you create...built-in merch! What’s not to like?
- Social Deduction - This is tricky! I love all our social deduction games, but the truth of the matter is that the majority require you to engage with people’s meat-faces. Even games that don’t require in-room gestures, like Monster Seeking Monster’s text feature, tend to have a lot of silent hang time while players communicate with each other. Because of this, I’m going to cheat a little and say the best option will be an upcoming game from The Jackbox Party Pack 8 — Weapons Drawn. All of the “deduction” occurs on-screen in this game, as you try to track down the culprits of literally dozens of murders. The game is challenging enough to feel game-y, but infinitely replayable and moves faster each time you play. Catch it when JPP8 debuts this Fall!
- User-Content Games - This is what I’m calling all our fill-in-the-blank Quiplash-style games, I don’t care what the company actually refers to them as. (I do care. Just not a lot.) Classic games with classic features, full of opportunities for people to show off their comedy chops! And also full of opportunities for...you know...unexpected [redacted]! Which is why I recommend Quiplash 3. Quiplash 3 is easy to learn so you can quickly onboard new guests. It also boasts extended timers to compensate for lag. Most importantly, Quiplash 3 has ROBUST. MODERATION. FEATURES. In this way, you can decide precisely how weiner-friendly you want your game to be! Whether you’re a weiner stream or a non-weiner stream, Quiplash 3 is the game for you.
Runners Up:
The Poll Mine (feat. an entire streaming mode!)
And now the BoRiNg TeChNiCaL stuff; this guide covers the basics for streaming our games on Twitch. We also have recommendations for keeping your stream safe while playing Jackbox Games. And hey, if you’re not already a part of our streaming community, check out our Streamers page.
Happy streaming! Don’t yell at me!
