How Jackbox Games adapted to a tumultuous 2020

When California’s first lockdown arrived in March, my friends and family relied on a few multiplayer games to stay in touch. One series we kept going back to was The Jackbox Party Packs. And judging by its huge rise in popularity last year, we weren’t alone.

The Chicago-based Jackbox Games has been making these Party Packs — each entry contains a handful of silly competitive games — for PC and consoles since 2014. The latest, The Jackbox Party Pack 7, came out in October. Usually, you’d play with people in the same room as you. Everyone would watch the game on a TV or laptop while submitting answers or drawings on their smartphones.