Skip to main content

This free Steam tool will make your Jackbox Party Pack nights even better

A screen from Jackbox Games' Tee K.O. 2 that shows a mountain with the words "Make a shirt" at the top.
Jackbox Games

Picture it: You’re at a party and you all decide you want to play a Jackbox party game. However, the person in charge has every single pack. How do you choose which game you play? If you want to play, say Trivia Murder Party 2 , how do you even go about finding it? Now the party isn’t fun anymore.

Well, in an announcement on Thursday, Jackbox Games revealed The Jackbox Megapicker, a free launcher that helps you view your entire Jackbox library and find the games you want.

Recommended Videos

Right now, it’s only been announced for Steam, but it’ll be launching sometime in July. No other details were revealed, including what the launcher will look like. Jackbox wrote in an announcement that it’ll be releasing more information closer to release. On launch day, it’ll also be running a Reddit AMA on r/jackboxgames.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The party games company preceded the reveal with some of the feedback it’s gotten from users about how complicated the experience has gotten. “How has Jackbox released seven party packs and not a unified combo-pack launcher?” one read. There have been a lot suggestions and complaints calling for a launcher. If you go into the subreddit, you can see the asks going back at least seven years.

There have even been some fan projects looking to rectify this problem. One is the Jackbox Utility, an open-source launcher you can use with Steam, on PC, or with the Steam Deck. Jack’s Trunk is another that’s been around for a few years; not only does it put all your owned Jackbox games together, but it can filter by your most played and by which titles are trending.

Jackbox Games’ popularity spiked during the pandemic as a great way to virtually socialize with others, and it’s been continuing to make updates. In April, the company announced the Jackbox Naughty Packwhich includes three games “full of spicy surprises,” although the pack hasn’t been released yet.

Carli Velocci
Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…
SteamWorld Heist 2 makes an underappreciated classic even better
A robot shoot a big mech boss in Steamworld Heist 2.

Back in 2015, developer Image & Form was thriving in the Nintendo 3DS era. Its game SteamWorld Dig had a breakthrough moment two years before, bringing new fans to its unique steampunk world. Rather than following that up with a quick and easy sequel, it would veer into left field with SteamWorld Heist. It wasn't another Dig Dug-like platformer, but a turn-based strategy game that played more like Worms. Though it may not be as popular as SteamWorld Dig and its sequel, it's a hidden gem that's been begging for a sequel.

That'll happen on August 8 with SteamWorld Heist 2. The sequel builds on the original's winning formula, while taking it to new heights. I got a sense of just how much bigger it is when sitting down for a demo at Summer Game Fest earlier this month. Imagine the jump in scope between the first two SteamWorld Dig games, and that's what you can expect from SteamWorld Heist 2.

Read more
Jackbox Naughty Pack is the M-rated party game you’ve been waiting for
A still from the Jackbox Naughty Pack announcement trailer.

There won’t be a new Jackbox Party Pack game this year; instead, we’ll be getting a mature-rated game titled Jackbox Naughty Pack.

Jackbox Games made this announcement during Monday’s ID@Xbox Showcase with a short comedic trailer. Not much is being revealed about this package just yet, but Jackbox Games is confirming that this will be the studio's first M-rated title. It will contain three raunchy games for players to pick between that are “full of spicy surprises and maybe even some familiar faces.” Jackbox Party Pack games typically feature five games, so hopefully, these Jackbox Naughty Pack games have more heft to them to make up for there being fewer of them.

Read more
Steam Year in Review 2023 is live — here’s how to see your Steam Replay
The landing page for Steam Year in Review 2023.

Steam introduced Steam Replay last year for the first time, and it's back again for 2023. As we close out the year, you get a chance to look back at a bunch of stats for 2023, similar to Xbox Year in Review and PlayStation Wrap-Up. Here, we will show you how to see your Steam Year in Review for 2023.

The wrap-up includes a ton of detail, from what games you've played to how many achievements you've unlocked. Steam Year in Review is only live for a limited time, but you can download and share your review while it's running, as well as add it to your Steam profile so you can see it throughout the next year.
How to see Steam Year in Review 2023

Read more