How to Play Jackbox Games Remotely
Are you looking for ways to connect with a friend in a different city? Are you tired of only talking to your pet all day? Want to replace that weekly call home with a wholesome family game of Fibbage?
Congrats! You’ve found the perfect blog post. Jackbox Games are local multiplayer games, but with a few extra steps, it’s easy to get a game started with others in remote locations.
If you’re totally unfamiliar with our games, our general How to Play page might be a great place to start so that you have a sense of how to start a room and connect players to a game. After you’ve checked that out, hop on back to this page!
PLAYING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
If you feel confident about you and your fellow players’ internet connections, just hop on a videoconferencing service (like Zoom or Google Hangouts). 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 having difficulty with getting out of full screen mode in the game to get back to your video conferencing screen, go to the game’s settings in the main lobby and turn off “Full Screen Mode.”
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. 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. Instead of streaming, many people have set up an additional webcam in front of their TV as an easier option.
- Tips for Streaming from a PS4
- Tips for Streaming from an Xbox One
- Tips for Streaming from a Nintendo Switch
- Tips for Streaming from Discord
- Tips for Streaming from an iPad to Zoom (not a great experience unless you have a newer iPad)
When sharing these ways, we recommend wired internet connections when possible!
ZOOM VIDEO TUTORIAL
If you’re having issues with game audio overpowering voices while using Zoom, it’s best to turn down the game audio in the settings menu.
GOOGLE HANGOUTS TUTORIAL
DISCORD TUTORIAL
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. (For our own streams, we use Discord or two separate Google Hangouts rooms – one for the guests and one for the game, both feeding into OBS.)
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, you can control the volume of our games in the settings menus of most recent packs.
Last but not least, if you’re playing with people you don’t know very well or streaming the games online, you may want to consider employing some additional features to help keep your game safe from trolling. This page covers many of the settings we recommend people utilize when streaming our games. In The Jackbox Party Pack 7, some games have a tool specifically designed for a stream’s moderator. In Quiplash 3, for example, your mod can join at mod.jackbox.tv and review user-generated content before it appears on the screen. The Jackbox Party Pack 7 also includes a profanity filter, which you can adjust in the game’s settings menu. You can learn more about this here.
When all else fails, remember: don’t forget to hide that room code!
Having Trouble?
If you need help with one of our games, please submit a ticket to our support site.
