It’s entertaining, the premises are ridiculous, but in there (and coming up with your own explanations) lie the charm. Parties can have all the way up to 100 players with Lie Swatter, though your mileage will vary depending on the size of your living room.įibbage XL is a bluffing game in the style of Balderdash or Ex Libris, calling on players to come up with their best fake answers to questions, while trying to pick the one correct answer themselves. Lie Swatter runs as a true or false questionnaire, where players try to guess whether or not the presented fact is true or not, and racing each other to get their hopefully-correct answer in first. It cuts out the delivery and focuses on fast-paced responses. There are a few interesting question formats, but where this particular part of the pack works best is in the fast-paced Jack Attack mode at the end. The questions are as much a part of capturing that style as the host’s audacious analogies, and with the theatrics of questions being introduced, the preamble, witticisms in wrapping up, a game can take a while. The host of the game is Tom Gottlieb, performing in character as Cookie Masterson his style fits somewhere between the commentary on English-dubs of Japanese game shows, schadenfreude-driven Wipeout!, or gaming’s own Professor Genki. If you’re not familiar with the series, it’s a quirky quiz game where you compete against a number of other players. Of the five games that make up the party pack, the headliner is You Don’t Know Jack 2015. Jackbox has its own specific brand of humour, and larger doses of it will not be for everyone. While it’s true that there are games that shoot for levity, the list of those that make it a central part of their game mechanic is a short one. If I’ve already lost you, then let’s be Frank for a moment, then a little Susan and finally some Roderick – it won’t take long for The Jackbox Party Pack to wear you out. This review is brought to you by Spotted Pig Tailors, for the finest of fine garments and accessories for that special wallowing pig in your life.