Survey says?

The Jackbox Survey Scramble is yet another installment in this franchise’s long list of games. However, this game focuses on one main element: surveys.

Taking real answers from real people, Jackbox has compiled a list of questions (such as “In one word, what’s the best sandwich topping?”) and created four mini games with the results. You can have 2-10 players for any round you play, answering on your personal devices rather than with Joy-Cons. In fact, you only really need a Joy-Cons to start the game; the rest can be done through your phone.

The four games are Hilo, Bounce, Squares, and Speed, and all are fun in their own way.

Hilo is like a “Family Feud” type of game in which you are given a question or category and instructed to guess the most and least popular answers. For example, when asked what the best sandwich topping is, you and your competitors will submit answers such as “cheese,” “lettuce,” “onions,” or whatever you may like, or think other people are most likely to say. The more popular your answer, the more points you get. After this first round is done, you are given the same prompt, but asked to answer with the least popular choices, like “toothpaste,” or “bubblegum.” Again, the lower someone’s answer is, the more points they get. Whoever ends the game with the most points wins.

Bounce is another game where you must guess both popular and non-popular answers, but this one has a different approach. You and your friends will be split into teams. In Bounce, you are given a scale of most to least popular, a little bar that moves across the screen, and a ball bouncing up and down. Your goal is to keep the ball from hitting the bottom of the screen by making it bounce off the bar.

You move the bar by putting in answers. If the ball seems to be floating towards the most popular side of the scale, you can submit the answer “cheese” (when talking about sandwich toppings) and hope it lands in the right spot to catch the ball. You can answer multiple times during your turn, so if the bar isn’t in quite the right spot, you can try to move it over. With each round, however, the ball moves faster, giving you less time to answer. Each time you bounce the ball off the bar, you receive points, and whichever team has the most at the end wins.

Squares is the one I found the most fun. It’s kind of like a tic-tac-toe game. You are shown nine different squares, all making up one big square, and your goal is to obtain three of them in a row. The first three squares will include some of the more popular answers, while the bottom three include the least. You are split into teams for this game, as well, and take turns guessing. If you guess the three most popular answers and get the top row completed, you win.

You could also guess the most popular answer, a middle ground answer, and a less popular answer to get a diagonal line.

Speed is set up a little like Hilo, but rather than guessing the most or least popular answers, you are trying to guess the most answers. The more popular an answer, the more points you receive for it. Ultimately, though, you want to try and knock out as many submissions as you can. Each round also gets faster, giving you less time to submit answers, and therefore growing in difficulty. In the game (and all of the other ones, actually) if you submit an answer that isn’t recognized, it doesn’t count towards any points.

You are also given the option to choose a category at the start of each game. Every player votes on their favorite, and the most voted prompt wins.

There are different options for choosing which mini game you want to play. You can either choose your favorite, have the game choose for you, or use the “tour” mode which takes you through each one. The menu is easy to navigate, and each mini game tells you how to play at the beginning of the first round. If you play a couple of times and get the hang of it, you can skip the tutorial. Jackbox Survey Scramble is played the same as all other Jackbox games, so if you’re used to their style, this addition won’t be hard to grasp at all.

The Jackbox Survey Scramble’s graphics and mechanics are nice and simple, and the game is mostly family friendly (depending on how you answer). Like other Jackbox games, it creates a fun environment for everyone, and it’s super enjoyable for those who like to compete with friends in a more intellectual way.