Guide
Jackbox alternatives for game night in the same room
Jackbox made phones-as-controllers normal. If your group plays in the same room and wants secret roles, or you don't have a console hooked up, a game where every phone is the screen may suit you better.
Jackbox and partygame side by side
| Jackbox Party Packs | partygame | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Paid packs; one person owns the copy | Free; no real ads yet, later an ad space only in the lobby, results and idle screen |
| What you need | A console, PC or TV device and a shared screen, plus phones | A phone each; a TV is optional |
| Joining | jackbox.tv and a room code | The site in a browser, a room code or QR |
| Secret information | Mostly on the shared screen | On each phone, only for its owner |
| Kinds of game | Drawing, trivia, joke writing | Hidden roles, words, clues, acting |
| Remote play | Possible by streaming the screen | Built for the same room |
Four to try on partygame
Play it here
Mind Match
The closest in feel to a Jackbox round: a prompt, everyone answers on their phone, and a big reveal (on the TV if you have one).
- Players
- 3–10
- Length
- 8–60 min
- You need
- A phone each; better with a big screen
- Who runs it
- The phones
- Knocked out?
- No
Good for Groups who liked the prompt-and-reveal rhythm.
Not for Players who want joke writing.
Play it here
Word & Deed
A team guessing game in three rounds; the TV shows the clock and the score.
- Players
- 4–12, two teams
- Length
- 8–30 min
- You need
- A phone each; better with a big screen
- Who runs it
- The phones
- Knocked out?
- No
Good for Loud groups who like performing.
Not for Quiet evenings.
Play it here
Undercover
A secret word on every phone and a vote to find the odd one out.
- Players
- 4–10
- Length
- 5–15 min
- You need
- A phone each; a big screen is optional
- Who runs it
- The phones
- Knocked out?
- Yes in Classic; out players watch
Good for Groups who want bluffing, which a shared screen can't hide.
Not for People who hate being voted out.
Play it here
Moon & Mask
A ten-minute hidden-role game where everyone acts at once on their phone.
- Players
- 3–10
- Length
- 10–15 min
- You need
- A phone each; a big screen is optional
- Who runs it
- The phones (voice host or screen guide)
- Knocked out?
- No: one vote ends the game
Good for Short bursts between other games.
Not for Groups who want one long game.
Without any screen
If you would rather put phones away entirely, a boxed party game for big groups does the job.
Board game
Herd Mentality
Everyone answers an opinion question; you score by matching the most common answer.
- Players
- 4–20
- Length
- About 20 min
- You need
- Question cards, pens, paper
- Who runs it
- Nobody
- Knocked out?
- No
Good for Big mixed groups who want something light.
Not for Groups who want bluffing or deduction.
Questions
Is partygame free like Jackbox's free games?
partygame is free: every game can be played in full. No room shows real ads yet; later a free room may show one ad space in the phone lobby, on the final result screen and on the idle shared screen, never during play.
Do we need a TV for partygame?
No. A TV or laptop can join as a shared screen for the clock, votes and reveals, and it never shows anyone's secret.
Can partygame be streamed for remote friends?
It is built for people in the same room; remote play isn't a goal.
Everyone in the same room?
partygame is for playing face to face, not online matchmaking: each phone keeps your secret and counts the votes, the talking happens at the table. Open a table in the browser, free, no app.