How do I bring my jackbox games on a trip Without bringing my home PC?
In November, I'm taking a trip to my in-laws, and they recently got interested in Jackbox games. They are almost certainly going to be interested in playing more of it when we take a trip there. I would like to be able to play my 5 jackbox party packs with them.
The problem is, they aren't exactly 'trusting' of third party software like the Steam Client, and I don't have a very good laptop. Even if I did, what I really want to do is stream the game to my parent's TV.
Is there some sort of cable setup I can do, preferably with my phone but if I need to use my laptop then I can as well, in order to stream my Steam Jackbox games to my in-laws' television?
Best Answer
Maybe.
Here are your options as I see them:
Persuade your in-laws to let you install Steam on their computer.
Pros:
- Probably the most straightforward solution.
- Doesn't cost any money.
Cons:
- You have to convince your in-laws to go along with it.
- You have to log into Steam on someone else's computer, which is a minor security risk. Make sure you have enabled Steam Guard, don't reuse your Steam password on any other sites, and be sure to log out when you're done.
- You might have trouble hooking the computer to the TV, unless they're right next to each other.
Try to run it on your laptop.
Pros:
- Jackbox is not the most technically demanding series of games. Your laptop might handle it just fine, even if it's got a weak graphics chipset.
- Doesn't cost any money (assuming you already own a laptop).
- You can test it in advance to make sure it will play well, and pick a different solution if it doesn't.
Cons:
- Doesn't generalize to more demanding games.
- Requires you to bring your laptop, which might be inconvenient.
- If you have a really weak laptop, Jackbox might not run on it.
Use a cloud gaming service such as GeForce Now
Pros:
- Can be used to stream to any computer regardless of computing power.
Cons:
- Usually requires installing client software, which your in-laws might disapprove of (so use the laptop instead).
- Requires a strong internet connection with low latency. Usually performs better over a wired connection. For a game like Jackbox, this might not be such a big deal if you don't mind a little bit of lag.
- Costs money.
- You probably can't test your in-laws' internet in advance.
Purchase a gaming laptop or a Nintendo Switch
Pros:
- This gives you greater flexibility the next time you need to travel.
- The Switch has a lot of first-party exclusives, unlike other consoles. As a result, it is a good companion device for PC gamers (in my opinion).
Cons:
- Costs money.
- The Switch does in fact have at least some Jackbox games available on it, but you would need to buy them again.
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How do I transfer Jackbox to another computer?
Short answer: unfortunately, you can't. Jackbox Games does not control the various stores and marketplaces where our games are sold, and as a result, you can't transfer purchases between platforms. In order to have the game on a new platform, you must purchase the game on that platform.Can you play Jackbox without PC?
PLAYING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILYEveryone can play along on their own mobile devices by using a browser and going to Jackbox.tv.Can you play Jackbox on PC without Steam?
What is the difference between them? You can buy and play our games on PC and Mac on either Steam or in the Epic Store (our games are also available on Linux through Steam). You can buy Steam codes in multiple places: The official Jackbox Games shop.Can you play Jackbox in separate houses?
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 feel confident about you and your fellow players' internet connections, just hop on a videoconferencing service (like Zoom or Google Hangouts).Ranking EVERY JACKBOX PACK 1 - 7
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ivan Samkov, Tatiana Syrikova, FOX, JESHOOTS.com