The Jackbox Party Pack 11 Review

I am an angel of a certain age.  I remember playing the game that started Jackbox dominance in the party quiz format, called “You don’t know Jack”.   Everyone huddled around a PC keyboard, attempting to decipher the clues given by the MC jack Cake, voiced beautifully by Paul Kay.  It was a very British experience (notable mentions are “Go stand in the corners of Alaska” and “The Keith Chegwin experience”) with a thin veneer of British uniqueness on an irreverent trivia game.

This was a quite different experience  to what the Jackbox Party Pack has become now.  The Jackbox Party Pack has long been the go-to game for chaotic fun at gatherings or with friends online, blending humour, creativity, and competition into bite-sized games. With this its eleventh installment, Jackbox delivers five brand-new titles—no sequels this time—and the result is one of the strongest packs in years. Critics have hailed it as a “return to form,” with no outright duds in the lineup.

To play the game today, you need a view of the casters screen (be it by Twitch or a discord channel), as well as a device (phone or tablet) with which you give your answers.  I would personally recommend a tablet, as when you have to draw this will pay dividends… you can thank me later.

Let’s break this little bundle of hilarity down, game by game shall we…

Doominate

The premise is quite simple:   Players twist positive prompts into disasters, then spin them back into triumphs.

Strengths: Clever wordplay brings up many bonkers situations, which greatly increases replayability and it feels like a spiritual successor to Survive the Internet.  The only weakness is you require a group willing to dip a toe into the lake of absurdity, which knowing my wife’s family is barely a reason to get their collective swimming costumes on and jump in headlong.

Verdict: A standout game—witty, layered, and endlessly fun.

Angel Score : 8

Hear Say

Premise: Record bizarre sound effects and compete for laughs.  This one was the weakest of the bunch. Players capture noises on their microphones, which are played back in isolation or layered over visuals.   When it works, it can be hilarious and something I have never seen before. Now I can see what the developers were playing for here, but background noise can be an issue as well as the quality of your mic, so your results may vary.  To get the best results, play online rather than in the same room and eliminate any background noises.

Hear Say is a bold experiment, but divisive. Needs the right setup and group of like minded players to really shine.

Angel Score : 7

Cookie Haus

The premise of Cookie Haus is so delicious. You all decorate cookies to match quirky customer requests (tablet players, you’re going to win here).  You can add shapes, icing, sprinkles, and patterns to make each design match customer requirements, but later rounds allow you remix existing designs.  It’s cozy, colourful, accessible, it scratches the creative itch that we never seem to scratch these days and I love it .

Now it might be that I am an Angel of a certain age, but I really like the pacing of Cookie Haus.  Some players looking for more ‘pizazz’ may find it less chaotic than other games in the pack and maybe a little slow.

A charming palate cleanser—perfect for casual play.

Angel Score:  8

Suspectives

Now it’s deerstalkers and magnifying glasses at the ready folks.  Suspectives is a game of deduction where players solve crimes together.  Players must provide clues, determine the efficacy of evidence, and vote on possible suspects.  This will feel immediately familar for fans of Among Us or Mafia.  This is a great players for the a group playing at a slower pace, so less suited for casual party settings.

Verdict: Adds depth and variety, but not the most accessible.

Angel Score:  6

Legends of Trivia

Premise: Trivia with a mythic overlay—build legendary D&D style avatars to take on a range of trivia based challenges.

Gameplay: Answer questions to strengthen your avatars, blending knowledge with storytelling.  The presentation is really slick, with a wonderful conhesive feel of graphics, sound and music that combines to create an incredibly entertaining experience.

Questions are many and varied but | feel that Trivia fatigue could set in if played too often.

This game is wonderful.  Fantastic nostalgic graphics and sound, with great monsters to fight and many types of trivia questions to answer.  The Bard that encapsulates your tale with tunes for every occasion is the star on the top of this very twinkly Christmas tree and I looked forward to every time he would come on screen to give us either guidance or a song to celebrate our successes.

This game brings back wonderful nostalgic memories of playing D&D till 3 in the morning and random battles in Final Fantasy games.  All the highlights of my younger playing years, in a beautiful, shiny, mythic package.

Verdict: The best trivia game Jackbox has ever made.  Epic and highly replayable.

Angel Score:  9

Overall Impressions

Pack 11 succeeds because it balances variety, polish, and originality. Each game feels distinct, covering the spheres of writing, sound, drawing, deduction, and trivia. The art direction is cohesive and vibrant, and the absence of sequels makes the pack feel fresh.

While Hear Say stumbles in local play and Suspectives demands more focus than casual groups may want, the other three games are instant classics. Doominate and Legends of Trivia anchor the pack with brilliance, while Cookie Haus provides cozy charm.

Conclusion

The Jackbox Party Pack 11 proves that after eleven installments, Jackbox still knows how to keep the party alive. Doominate and Legends of Trivia are instant classics, Cookie Haus is cozy fun, Suspectives adds depth, and Hear Say—though flawed—shows the developers are still willing to experiment.

For party nights, family gatherings, or online hangouts, Pack 11 is a worthy addition to the Jackbox canon. It may not be perfect, but it’s one of the most balanced, inventive, and entertaining packs in years.

A triumphant return to form—bursting with creativity, laughter, and mythic chaos.

Feel free to come join myself and my partner in Crime @AlbieWanKenoobi on a Friday Night, 9:30 PM GMT for some Party games with our own, non-reverential twist.

https://twitch.tv/imdaveangel/

https://twitch.tv/albiewankenoobi/