Jackbox Games has revealed MegaPals, a new game in The Jackbox Party Pack 12 built around finding the closest friends in a group. The two players who make the most unique matches with each other become the MegaPals, an outcome Jackbox Games says is a first for the studio. Jackbox Games previously detailed two other games in the pack, Hyperface and Debate & Switch.
How MegaPals Works
MegaPals combines a word association game with a personality quiz. Players receive a word and try to land on the same response as another player, a loop Liz Anderson and Chase McClure pitched with the classic game Mind Meld in mind. Making matches with other players awards points, and voting on hot takes from the unmatched words leads to the next starter. Alina Constantin writes that the game blends improv comedy with technical artistry. Jackbox Games calls this blend the Jackbox origin story. MegaPals asks who the closest friends in the group are and who thinks the most alike.
Two Winners, a Studio First
Jackbox Games notes the winners are not always who players expect and can change throughout the game. The game offers many ways to collect match points, from matching with others to having answers selected to riff on. The best strategy is to be yourself.
Real-Time Phone Tools and Relationship Map
The phone screen shows real-time information on what other players are submitting while a player types. Controller engineer Ryan McGill built that feature. A dynamic likes screen lets the group vote on favorite words, built by engineering lead Ariana Miles and art lead Owen Watson. Between rounds, a minimap shows the players’ relationship chart. In an eight-player game there are 28 possible winning pairs. The map pairs each player with their highest-scoring friend and gives a dramatic replay of the words that made or broke friendships.
Launch and Host
MegaPals is hosted by the King of Friendship. Jackbox Games wants players to answer prompts with their own personal shortlist of weirdness and enjoy the moment of matching with a friend. MegaPals is one of five new games arriving in The Jackbox Party Pack 12 on October 15 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
