You Don't Know Jack

Review

Common Sense Media says

Clever spin on trivia games sports a little dirty humor.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that You Don't Know Jack is a comedic trivia game for all major gaming systems that blends pop culture with obscure trivia. The game is fast-paced and challenging, but the nature of many questions (and their corresponding answers) makes it inadvisable for young children. Sexual innuendo and suggestive words are cheerfully included, and the host will taunt you if you get an answer wrong or even if your score isn't extraordinarily high. Flippant nature aside, there is some tough trivia here; the game will impart some new knowledge to most players. Also, note that players can play with others in the same room or online, though there is no interaction or communication with other players in online play.

  • Positive messages0
    The game encourages and rewards smart thinking, but the show's host -- who is the main character in the game -- can be very snide, snarky, and sarcastic.
  • Positive role models0
    Cookie Masterson, the show's host, is funny, but certainly doesn't have an attitude you'd want children to adopt. He can be extremely sarcastic, condescending, and haughty.
  • Ease of play3
    The game is extraordinarily easy to learn -- but the questions can be quite challenging, something you might not suspect given the game's pop culture feel.
  • Violence2
    In one sequence, players may be awarded with a bucket of blood for selecting the wrong hidden answer. Players can also "screw" other players when they think they don't know the answer, resulting in a sharp screw skewering their player number, with drops of blood when the number is hit.
  • Sex2
    The off-screen host's irreverent jokes are often laced with innuendo and sexual references, such as "99 dimensions of orgasmic compatibility" and "Personally I prefer Brokeback Mountain: The Remount."
  • Language3
    Prior to the launch of the game, players hear the end of fictitious television commercials that include the words "ass," "bitch," and "damn". More offensive words like "f--k" are spoken, but bleeped out for comedic value. Players can try to enter obscenities for their player names on the Windows version, but the game will recognize these, scold the player, then assign a random, more appropriate nickname for them, such as "Santa".
  • Consumerism2
    Additional episodes of the game can be downloaded via Xbox Live and other online services.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Some questions and comments contain drug references, such as "Afghanistan is the largest opium producer". Alcohol is casually mentioned from time to time as well.
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What's it about?

YOU DON'T KNOW JACK has players competing in a mock television game show, complete with parody "commercial breaks," bonus rounds, and a wide variety of questions. The game blends pop culture references into questions about everything from genealogy to geography. Up to four players can compete in the same room to answer questions quickly and accurately. In addition to the standard Q&A format, there are alternative gameplay modes, such as "Dis or Dat" -- where you must identify whether a word or phrase onscreen belongs to one category or another -- and the "Jack Attack," where you must match two items together that fit with an overarching clue.

Is it any good?

 

Trivia games often run the risk of being run-of-the-mill. That is anything but the case with You Don't Know Jack. The game, which is a revival of a series that was popular in the mid-1990s, perfectly blends sarcasm and quirky trivia. And it's something that will delight both old fans of the series as well as those just being exposed to it. The game is a throwback to the simpler days of gaming, while still remaining relevant to today's player. And while many titles try (and fail) to be funny, YDKJ is one of those few games that will have you laughing regularly -- and loudly. And if you're not careful, you just might learn something in the process. It's a must-have for even the most casual fans of trivia and party games.

Online interaction: Players can compete with others online. In the Xbox 360 version, though, there's no voice chat with other players or any other sort of interaction aside from the gameplay.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how learning can be fun and how information learned in the game might be used in day-to-day life. Did you come away feeling smarter?

  • Families can also discuss the idea of edutainment; game software that entertains while teaching. Do you think this can be an effective method of getting kids to learn new things? 

This review was written by Chris Morris
Parent of 4 and 6 year old
February 13, 2011
AGE
13
 
Not for kids, but great humor for teens and up
You Don't Know Jack has just been revived with this excellent addition to the series. Teens and up will enjoy, but the kids won't really understand the humor.
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Helped me decide (15) | Had useful details (12) | Read my mind (12)
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Teen, 17 years old
June 1, 2011
AGE
12
 
B1TCH
Boring these days there are no new 360 games that are good.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (5) | Had useful details (4) | Read my mind (4)
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This review was written by Chris Morris
Platforms:Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Windows
Available online?Available online
Genre:Party
Developer:THQ
Release date:February 8, 2011
Price:$39.99
ESRB rating:T for Crude Humor, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes
This review was written by Chris Morris

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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