The Jackbox Survey Scramble is instantly gratifying | Hands-on preview

The Jackbox Survey Scramble is instantly gratifying | Hands-on preview

As someone who grew up watching game shows like Family Fortunes, I was immediately drawn to The Jackbox Survey Scramble. It’s like a modern-day revival of those Saturday nights spent with family and friends, trying to guess the most popular answers to ridiculous questions.


Back then, when we were a certain age, Saturday nights were all about game shows instead of The Jackbox Survey Scramble. The whole family would huddle together to watch ordinary people competing against each other using their intellect to win prizes that seemed impossible to dream of. It could be anything from a teddy bear to a weekend getaway in Basingstoke, or even a caravan!

Among all these options, Family Fortunes stood out as my favorite, a game centered around popular answers from public surveys. Can you guess what item is typically found in a purse? What do you usually connect with a fish and chip shop? It was always fun to watch the ridiculous answers people would suggest. Now, you can rekindle that excitement right at home with The Jackbox Survey Scramble, which shares a similar concept. Lately, I’ve been having a blast exploring two of the game modes in this new addition to the Jackbox series.


 

In Hilo, players are tasked with selecting the most or least commonly chosen one-word answers to various questions, sourced from real people’s responses! For instance, what’s the most popular name for a dog? What dishes would you want a renowned chef like Jamie Oliver to cook for you? Which tourist destinations are often overrated? However, identifying the 350th least favorite name for a dog (not Geoffrey in this case) can prove more challenging. The top ten lists can be quite unexpected, showcasing just how unpredictable people can be. This game is entertaining and can spark lively discussions as you ponder who would prefer chicken nuggets from Jamie Oliver instead of a beef wellington!

In The Jackbox Survey Scramble’s second round, we encountered the game Squares. This team-based game involves filling a 3×3 grid on the screen with squares horizontally, vertically or diagonally, much like an opinionated version of tic-tac-toe. The answers are grouped from most to least popular and if you correctly guess one, that square goes to your team. Interestingly, squares can be seized by choosing a more favored answer within the same category, providing opportunities for tactical play to prevent an opponent from winning when you believe salmon is more often chosen as a bagel filling over salt beef. It’s both annoying and delightful to come so close to victory but ultimately block your rival at the last second.

The Jackbox Survey Scramble is instantly gratifying | Hands-on preview

These games have been incredibly popular, effortlessly connecting people across different age groups. They’re straightforward and intuitive, making them accessible to most players. There aren’t many right or wrong answers; instead, there are slightly better or worse options, ensuring that no one feels excluded. Compared to Jackbox’s more complex recent releases, these games have a simpler design, which expedites the gameplay process and maintains a fast-paced transition from one game to another. In my opinion, this simplification is a significant upgrade.

I think that this would be a great starting point for anyone who hasn’t tried a Jackbox game before. The lobby system is as straightforward as ever, allowing anyone with a smartphone to scan a QR code, choose an avatar and username, then jump right into the action. It’s that easy.

Easy to grasp and immediately satisfying, The Jackbox Survey Scramble is likely to keep you engaged for extended periods, sparking debates over where the second most ideal location for relieving oneself, apart from home, might be.

The Jackbox Survey Scramble is coming to PC, consoles, and mobile on October 24th.

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2024-10-14 20:16