The Jackbox Party Pack 12 review: five new party games for your phone
The twelfth Jackbox pack has been out since 15 October for PC, consoles and Apple devices. The first reviews each award 8 out of 10.
Photo: Hilary Murugu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Trailer: YouTube · Jackbox Games · youtube.com
Critics' rating
Scores: TheSixthAxis 8/10 · Gaming Age 8/10
- Platforms
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Apple TV, iPad, Mac
- Studio
- Jackbox Games
- Release
- 15.10.2026
+ Pros
- A strong all-round party bundle
- Hyperface and MegaPals feel genuinely new
- Intriguing team trivia in Idol Factions
- Played conveniently on smartphones
– Cons
- Debate and Switch is rather dull
- Hyperface has limited replay value
- Like every pack, a mixed bag
Critics' verdict
A strong party bundle with two genuinely fresh games – only the debate game doesn’t land with every group.
Summary of published reviews – sources below.
The Jackbox Party Pack 12 has been available since 15 October for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Apple TV, iPad and Mac. The pack costs $29.99 and contains five new games for two to eight people playing on their smartphones: in We Forgot a Card they design absurd greeting cards, in MegaPals they test how well they know their friends, and in Debate and Switch they argue over silly questions. Idol Factions is a team trivia game, and Hyperface has players warping photos.
TheSixthAxis awards 8 out of 10 and calls the pack a really good bundle. Hyperface and MegaPals in particular are fresh ideas, and the team trivia also convinces. Gaming Age likewise gives 8 out of 10, praising MegaPals and We Forgot a Card. The reviewer’s favourite is Idol Factions, once its initially confusing rules click.
Both reviews see weaknesses in the debate game: TheSixthAxis finds it a bit boring, while for Gaming Age the fun depends heavily on whether the group likes arguing. Gaming Age also says Hyperface offers too few options in the long run. Overall, like every pack before it, it is a mixed bag, but worth buying for fans of the series.