Those who have experienced any of the Jackbox Party Packs will know that, sometimes, things can get a little spicy. An odd question thrown into a family-friendly round of Fibbage that leaves you frantically scanning the in-game moderation options or a well-endowed Drawful sketch that leaves everyone chuckling like embarrassed teens — we've all been there before. The Jackbox Naughty Pack is all about that feeling, a party game collection for adults that lands high on the ‘Rude Scale’, even if it’s not quite as blushing-ly bold as it seems to think it is.
Unlike the previous packs, this Naughty edition is a three-game collection, with each game providing a cheeky twist on an otherwise ordinary Jackbox formula. At an initial glance, this isn't a lot of bang for your buck. The three games provide some decent variety, but at £19.69 / $21.69, it feels a little pricey compared to the usual full-fat, five-game ~£25 options.
Anyway, onto the games. There’s ‘Fakin’ It All Night Long’ (a play on Party Pack 3’s Fakin’ It), ‘Dirty Drawful’ (the original’s Drawful only, ahem, “dirty”) and a new presentation game called ‘Let Me Finish’. The first two are very much in line with what we’ve seen before, getting players to blend in with or draw some spicy scenarios, while the latter is all about convincing your pals that you know the answer to life’s most titillating questions such as “Where are a taco’s nipples?”
So, it’s Jackbox. But what about the naughtiness? That is the selling point of this collection, after all, so does it live up to its name? Well, kinda.
The naughtiness in question falls into one of two categories: either you are asked to discuss the ins and outs (steady) of topics you wouldn’t want to bring up at the dinner table, or you are faced with a standard Jackbox-style question with an F-Bomb crowbarred in to portray some faux NSFW edginess.
This is harmless enough in the short term — we wouldn’t want every question to get us hot under the collar — but it does serve to make things feel a little inconsistent when you’ve just spent the last five minutes discussing an inanimate object’s naughty bits only to then be hit with the question “What’s an animal you don’t f*****g trust?”
It also somewhat takes away from the comedy appeal of the experience. The joy of Jackbox is taking something that seems tame and injecting your own silliness into it. Responding to the prompt “Draw a picture of a cat” with an illustration of a cat with a large behind is great comedy value because it catches everyone off guard. Submitting the same drawing to the prompt “Draw a picture of a cat with a f*****g big bum” (we’re making these up at this point) is just playing by the rules.
There’s still fun to be had, of course, and paired with the right crowd, we found that the usual Jackbox laughs came thick and fast. You’ll still need a wifi connection to play and drawing pictures on a phone screen is still less than ideal, but hey, that’s old news for Jackbox.
The Jackbox Naughty Pack is a spicy but slight collection. The inconsistent NSFW-ness often detracts from the series' comedy value, and it's a shame there aren't more games to dive into, but those looking to heat up a grown-up game night will still find some good laughs to be had here.
Comments 19
I expected more from this when it was announced.
It would seem that a casual game of Quiplash is more NSFW than this whole collection.
Amateurs.
Who's down for a We Dare sesh?
I generally like Jackbox but this sounds meh. Only three games? Not worth it no matter how good they are.
The 3 games included with this pack aren't interesting to me. I didn't really like fakin' it the first time, a lot of drawing games have come out already and the presentation games have been done before. Maybe they are just running out of ideas at this point.
I still don't understand why this site continues to hold the online requirement against Jackbox. Not even Nintendo figured out a way to connect phones to the Switch without requiring an Internet connection with Everybody 1-2-Switch. It just isn't feasible. Also, I'd like to know how drawing on a phone screen is less than ideal. What's the alternative? Using a controller? (If it bothers you that much, I've found that using a laptop and mouse setup works alright.)
I still hold that the Switch is the best platform for Jackbox if you're looking to play it locally, since you can take a Switch with you very readily. At least as far as actual consoles go, though if you're lugging an Apple TV or something around just for Jackbox, I respect it
I was afraid that they'd be too obviously NSFW, and as I can read that seems to be quite the case here. I always play with adult friends so we always take it to the next level and beyond. But this is a disappointment nonetheless.
Thanks for the review, haven't played any Jackbox games yet so I'll go for the arguably better and undoubtedly more substantial ones before this if my friends ever want to give them a try!
Why is the Drawful bird built like Patrick near the end of The SpongeBob Movie?
Not too familiar with the Jackbox games, but can someone explain how this is played? Every player uses joy con or do players need to download a phone app? Is internet required?
we're already aware how much the series is getting milked and yet they only release 3 games for 20 dollars which includes ANOTHER version of drawful? that's just crazy they've got a money factory on their hands
@veesonic
Internet is required on both the switch and the devices you use to play the game.
The way it works, is you go to Jackbox.tv website, enter the code that the game will give you (codes are given when you start a game) and you do most of the actions on the device (phone tablet, laptop, etc) . Its really straight forward on how to connect and play. Depending on the games, it will usually be up to 8 active players with any additional person connect being audience members.
I love jackbox but I will do as I always have and wait for a sale. I still have tons of "survive the internet" to play with family.
Jackbox games are fun anytime I've played them, but they're always premium priced on switch, and there's just no reason to play them there over anywhere else given that you just use a phone anyway.
When something is unexpectedly made nsfw in moderation, that is funny. When it is nsfw from the start, requiring nsfw answers, the nsfw answers are no longer funny because they have lost what made their impact. Would you like a comedy show where the comedian tells you when to stand up and clap, or a comedy show where you choose when to stand up and clap based on how you enjoy it? This game only serves to limit answers. What's the point in competing and rewarding for creativity when you already know what your party is going to say?
@TtimeXP Thank you for explaining! My switch has custom firmware so can't connect to the internet but still looks cool.
[Old man voice] Back in my day we just locked two people in a closet against their will
We Dare of the modern era returns.
That aside could be interesting to see Jackbox goes for something like this, brief, maybe more games, whatever the case.
I don't understand the point of NSFW Drawful when you already can make your own dictionaries?
The prices are fittingly... "nice." Hopefully they can keep that up somehow even with inevitable discounts.
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