I’ve been playing “JackBox Games” (formerly Jellyvision Games) since I was a child, starting in elementary school with “You Don’t Know Jack”. If you’ve never heard of JackBox, I’m delighted to introduce you to one of the most exciting new trends in party games.
If your group of friends is as diverse as mine, you’re already familiar with the struggle of finding a game that everyone is interested in, let alone one that allows the appropriate number of players. Enter JackBox Games. Having recently released their 4th pack of digital party games, JackBox now offers dozens of hilarious, interactive, party games which are played on any screen, with your phone acting as your personal controller. Most games allow for at least 8 players, while some allow for many more.
While I’ve been known to continually force my friends to play my new favorite board game or video game, I’ve yet to receive a complaint after introducing a friend to JackBox (which happens a lot). As with popular party games such as Cards Against Humanity or Codenames, JackBox games can be enjoyed by nearly any group of people. Which brings me to the question asked by the title of this article: Why aren’t local bars here in Vegas hosting JackBox Party nights?!
Local bars discovered the advantages of hosting interactive group entertainment years ago. Bars such as Hi-Scores and Bad Beat Brewing have long-running weekly trivia nights – which are very popular. Video games have also been appearing in more and more bars throughout the valley, in different forms. JackBox feels like the logical next step.
At first I thought there might be some legal issues. However, outside of Las Vegas, plenty of bars are already trying this out. Bars in West Virginia, Burlington, Tampa, Massachusetts, and Illinois have already hosted JackBox party nights, with great turnouts. The one in Illinois was even attended by the JackBox developers themselves!
Perhaps bar owners and managers are suspicious about video games in general: Most video games only appeal to a specific demographic, and can potentially turn-off a large portion of your customers. Perhaps bar owners are afraid of trying something new: Trivia and karaoke nights have been tried and tested for years, while video game events are less common, and have been hit or miss. Perhaps bar owners are unaware of JackBox games and how conducive they can be for hanging out with friends and drinking. Whatever the reason: they’re wrong.
The first bar to figure out how to properly host a recurring JackBox night will certainly be rewarded with new regular customers.
If you know of any bars that are interested in trying out this idea, please reach out to us on Facebook. Our primarily goal as a company is to make video game events ubiquitous across Las Vegas. Any venue who is working in the same direction will have our full support; including consultation and advertising.
Let’s get this going! I hope to see you all at the first recurring JackBox event, live at a bar here in Vegas!