Want to play Jackbox with a younger crowd? Get Party Pack 2.

NEWS – I wrote about the Jackbox Party Pack on Feb. 5. And again on April 16. Because I’m a big fan of these quirky, online party games. But more importantly, because they’ve been a lifeline during quarantine and social distancing, as we’ve hosted virtual games nights with far-flung family members, old friends from all over the country, and even had a Jackbox birthday party for my youngest.

This article is specifically about Jackbox Party Pack 2, after doing some research on the best games for elementary-school-aged kids, though it’s perfectly fun for teens and adults, too. With some of the other Jackbox packs, you can find a game or two that works for kids, and even turn on a Family Friendly Filter for an individual game. But Jackbox staples like Murder Trivia, which is extremely fun, simply isn’t appropriate for kids, especially sensitive children, younger kiddos, or those who get scared easily. (If your children enjoy horror movies, they’ll be perfectly fine.)

Party Pack 2 is one of the oldest of the six gaming sets. Unlike our other packs (4 and 5), you can click a toggle in the main menu Settings and instantly ensure that all five games in this party pack will be appropriate for your youngest gamers. While hosting a remote birthday party, this was much appreciated.

Plus, Party Pack 2 offers a great variety of games, which are guaranteed to entertain a crowd.

• Quiplash XL gives you funny prompts and then you vote to decide which player gave the best answer (3 to 8 players)
• Fibbage 2 asks a question and you make up a fib that you hope tricks your friends into thinking it’s the true answer (2 to 8 players)
• Bidiots starts as a drawing game but is actually more about strategy to see who can make the most money during an art auction (3 to 6 players)
• Earwax has you pair funny noises with word prompts (3 to 8 players)
• Bomb Corp requires teamwork and collaboration as you try to defuse bombs, while each player is only given partial instructions (1 to 4 players)

If you recall, with Jackbox games you use your own device (smartphone, Kindle, tablet, laptop, etc.) as your controller by going to jackbox.tv. With each game, you enter your unique game code to play with your pals. You can see all the questions and pick your answers from the device in your hand.

Jackbox Games are downloadable on several platforms, so how to play them remotely depends on what console you’re playing them on. We use Steam and download onto a PC, and then make a Zoom call to friends and share our screen (making sure to share the computer audio, too). Yet, fittingly, the Jackbox team recently shared an article with greater detail and video tutorials on how to play their games remotely using different platforms.

Right now, the Jackbox Party Packs are on sale from $14.99 to $22.49.