The Jackbox Party Pack 9
- October 20, 2022
- Jackbox Games
Jackbox Party Pack 9 delivers the most powerful single entry since... I don't even know when! With one updated classic and four new games, it's a blast through and through.
Introducing the ninth installment of the best-selling Party Pack Franchise
Reviews
- Fibbage 4 is a standout game, offering fresh prompts and a fun twist with the 'Enough About You' mode, despite the removal of the final round.
- Roomerang provides a unique and engaging experience, allowing players to roleplay and vote each other out in a reality TV-style format, which can lead to hilarious moments.
- Junktopia is a creative and entertaining game where players present quirky items, leading to lots of laughs and fun interactions.
- Quixort is criticized for its slow pacing and the downtime it creates, as players often have to wait for the opposing team to finish their turns.
- Nonsensory has been described as lacking depth and excitement, with some players finding it confusing and less enjoyable compared to other drawing games.
- Overall, many players feel that this pack is weaker than previous installments, with some games feeling repetitive or uninspired.
- humor50 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players highlighting its ability to generate laughter and create inside jokes among friends and family. While some games, like Roomerang and Quixort, are praised for their funny prompts and engaging mechanics, others, such as Junktopia, received mixed reviews, with some players feeling that the humor can be hit or miss. Overall, the enjoyment of the humor often depends on the creativity and comedic sensibilities of the player group.
“It's super funny and leads to a lot of fun, and I believe is how you should play Fibbage.”
“The reality TV show setting makes for a really funny game that's incredibly engaging, funny throughout, and doesn't overstay its welcome.”
“This party pack was a refreshing change-up that had kept my friends and I laughing on countless occasions for each of the games.”
“Probably one of my favorite modes, but it's not funny; it's more of a chill experience. Think of games like Role Models or Bracketeering, which I have no desire to play.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the traditional 2D Jackbox art style and the wacky collage aesthetic, while others find the 3D visuals jarring and experimental. Overall, the art styles are generally considered cute and appealing, though some aspects, like Quixort's forever mode, are seen as less impressive. While the visuals can be engaging and smooth, opinions vary on their overall impact and execution.
“Fibbage is still good as always, the wacky collage aesthetic is pleasing, and the fan-sent video questions can be downright adorable at times.”
“The art styles are great, the game is smooth, nothing feels rushed or half complete.”
“Roomerang: I really like how the game works and I really dig the animation and art style; it might take a few plays to get used to and maybe enjoy the game, but overall the big brother type mechanics are cool!”
“I was excited to try it out since it's the only game in the pack that has kept the traditional 2D Jackbox art style, but it's just passable.”
“The 3D visuals are probably the most jarring part about it, and I can tell that the team isn't really used to working in 3D and that it's more experimental, so I'll give it a pass in that regard.”
“It was a little quirky and had an alright art style, but it's really nothing to write home about.”
- music11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its stunning quality and hypnotic appeal, with many players enjoying the soundtracks and describing them as "slaps." However, some players feel that the gameplay mechanics, particularly those involving music lyrics, detract from the overall experience, especially for teams with deaf players. Overall, while the music enhances the fun, certain aspects of the game may limit its enjoyment for some.
“The art, music, hosts, and VFX are stunning in this game.”
“Great soundtracks while you play.”
“The music is hypnotic.”
“The genre feels like it's following music rhythm games and will slowly die.”
“During scoring, the game will have multiple brief pauses before starting the next line, which feels even worse when accounting for the lack of music playing.”
“It is an interesting game as long as it's not sorting music lyrics; it just becomes guessing, which is not fun for me.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the latest Jackbox Party Pack is generally praised for its fun and polished mechanics, with each game offering engaging and competitive experiences that enhance replayability. While some games, like Quixort, are highlighted for their intense group dynamics, others, such as Roomerang, are noted for lacking depth and variety in gameplay, which may limit their long-term appeal. Overall, the collection is well-received, though some players feel certain concepts could be further developed to maximize their potential.
“The Jackbox Party Pack never fails to bring joy and fun to everyone I play it with. I absolutely adore this collection, and this year I can safely say every single game is fantastic. They last a good time, are fun to play, polished, and have really good mechanics.”
“Quixort, in particular, really brought the group together and made for some intense competitive gameplay; the room got loud!”
“One thing that does bother me is there could have been more goals for the player to try to win the game and more varieties of questions instead of the 'which player does the best with their personality trait in this situation?' type question. For the topic of more goals for the player to win the game, it really is just use your personality trait to win the game. This kind of feels like wasted potential with a concept like Big Brother where it is just more than that, where there is backstabbing and arch nemesis, etc. But on the other hand, it probably isn’t feasible to put that much game mechanics into a simple party game.”
“Take this review with a grain of salt because the games are only measured on gameplay and replayability.”
“They've taken loads of past concepts and game mechanics from other packs and really knocked it out of the park with this one.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability across different games. While some titles, like Quixort, are praised for their high replayability due to engaging team dynamics and simple mechanics, others, such as Roomerang, are noted to lack replay value primarily because their appeal relies heavily on initial shock factors.
“All the games are good and replayable!”
“Quixort: had so much fun working as a team against the other team with friends in this game where you have to sort things based on a category, for example, Marvel superheroes based on their physical strength from most weak to most strong. It's a simple game but offers so much replayability, and the music is great too.”
“Take this review with a grain of salt because the games are only measured on gameplay and replayability.”
“Roomerang was great as well, but I think it lacks some replayability because a lot of the appeal comes from the shock factor associated with some funny game mechanics.”
- story2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect allows players to creatively craft narratives for humorous items, encouraging a playful and imaginative approach to storytelling. The absurdity of the items enhances the fun, making each story unique and entertaining.
“You're essentially crafting a story for an item and trying to sell it!”
“The items you receive are completely hilarious-looking, allowing you to create any story you desire.”
“You're basically creating a story for an item and trying to sell it!”
“The items you receive are entirely hilarious-looking, allowing you to craft whatever story you want.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report that while the gameplay in Roomerang is enjoyable, the overall experience is marred by numerous bugs and stability issues.
“Roomerang is fun, but everything else is buggy.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy.”
“I experienced constant lag and glitches that ruined the gameplay.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the trivia experience.
“I love trivia games in every pack I own, but this one is just downright banal and tedious.”
Critic Reviews
The Jackbox Party Pack Vol. 9 (Nintendo Switch) Review
Jackbox Party Pack Vol. 9 returns the series to form with an overall great selection of new games, and further refinement of the core software settings.
80%The Jackbox Party Pack 9 Review
The Jackbox Party Pack 9 brings with it an excellent variety of party games to fit any mood. Whether you want to perform and engineer the comedy yourself or have the game provide ample opportunity there's a game that will appeal to everyone. That being said, there also might be games that just don't appeal to you at all.
80%The Jackbox Party Pack 9
Nonsensory feels like the “newest” of the 5 games on The Jackbox Party Pack 9, in an otherwise middling collection by the masters of mirth.
75%