The Jackbox Party Pack 3

This pack of trivia games is entertaining for groups of friends, but it's technical issues keep it from being the best party favor. Perhaps one of the biggest strikes against and ultimately strongest aspects of The Jackbox Party Pack 3 is you cannot play it with random people. You either need to already have a group of people together -- no small task in today's day and age -- or be a streamer with a large audience online. The emphasis in each of the different modes is, above all else, to assure everyone is working together and having a good time. This move makes sense, but it also means if you don't know anyone willing to come hang out, you'll be stuck to coming through internet forums or streamer channels in the hopes of finding other people to play with. Literally, you can't play any of the modes unless you have the bare minimum number of players on hand.

But this is made easier with one key concession: People can play with you on their laptops and phones via a password-protected browser room. Although this proved more inclusive, the game struggled with some iPhone models. In each game-show inspired mode, reloads were needed for each and every question, along with re-logging back into the game room, hoping the browser would load fast enough. It seems to perform best on older iPhones and laptops, but at least there's ample reason to stick with the game despite these crucial hiccups. Popular modes are "trivia murder party" (a quiz show with lots of wrinkles to make sure nobody stays unbeatably ahead of the pack) and "guesspionage" (a quiz show where players take guesses on and bet against one another). "Quiplash" (where players pitch their funniest punchline to a joke set-up), "fakin' it" (a game hinging on players' ability to conceal information), and "tee K.O." (where players make and vote on T-shirt designs) can get less play, but your mileage will vary. Again, it can't be understated the sheer amount of choices and types of games this pack includes. Although the tech issues and rules for each game will throw players, it's still an enjoyable time and a great way to spend an evening with friends.