Can I play Jackbox Games remotely? – Jackbox Games

The short answer is: yes! While our games do not offer online matchmaking, there are a bunch of different ways you can play without all being in the same locale.

You may also wish to refer to our blog article on remote play:

How to Play Remotely (includes video tutorials for popular options)

Playing With Friends

If you feel confident about you and your fellow players’ internet connections, just hop on a videoconferencing service (like Zoom see more details at the end of this article!) Start a game on your laptop and use the screen sharing option so that players you’re on a call with can see the game. Everyone can play along on their own mobile devices by using a browser and going to Jackbox.tv.

If you’re a Steam fan, you can skip the videoconferencing step and use Steam Remote Play Together. This feature allows you to share your local co-op games online with friends. Using Remote Play Together, only one person needs to own a copy of a Jackbox Games title. Up to four players (or more with faster internet connections) can join. You can find instructions for how to get started here.

Discord screen sharing can also be a great option if you’re playing on a laptop. You and up to nine of your Discord friends can connect and have both the game and video enabled. You’ll want to see your friend’s face when they’re lying about being an alien in Push The Button. There is more about Discord further down, or learn more here.

Some consoles also have screen share or co-stream abilities as long as you’re playing with someone who also owns that platform. For example, PS4 also has the ability to share screens with your friends. Learn more about that here.

When sharing these ways, we recommend wired internet connections when possible!

Playing With Anyone

If you want to open your game up to the public, using a streaming service like Twitch or YouTube is your best bet. These services allow you to broadcast your screen and easily share a link with remote players to watch, join, and play along. We stream our games every Thursday at 3:30CT. You can watch an example of how this works here.

In order to do this, you will need broadcasting software. Open Broadcaster Software Studio is free and integrates easily with YouTube and Twitch.

Additional Instructions: How to start streaming on Twitch

Additional Instructions: How to start streaming on YouTube

With any of these services, we recommend using low latency settings. This will ensure that everyone is experiencing the game as close to “real time” as possible. We wrote a blog about how to set this up that can be found here.

You can still play with friends while streaming. We recommend hiding the game lobby screen at the start of each new game. Before revealing the game screen to the public, send the room code via private message to your preferred players. They can then use the room code to join first (on their phones at Jackbox.tv).

Check Your Settings

Many of our games have extended timer options to give remote players more time to answer. These can be enabled in the game’s settings menu.

Additionally, if you’re using a streaming service to play with friends, passworded rooms (a newer feature available in The Jackbox Party Pack 6 , The Jackbox Party Pack 7, The Jackbox Party Pack 8, The Jackbox Party Pack 9, The Jackbox Party Starter, and Quiplash 2 InterLASHional) will add another layer of protection against trolls joining your games. Remember: don’t forget to hide that room code!

Read on to learn more about different videoconferencing options and the pros/cons associated with each!