Compare It Takes Two vs The Jackbox Party Pack 12

It Takes Two

It Takes Two

Overall score 4.4 / 5

Based on 21 scored reviews

vs
The Jackbox Party Pack 12

The Jackbox Party Pack 12

Overall score 3.8 / 5

Based on 13 scored reviews

How we score

Scorata scores summarize analyzed review evidence on a 1–5 scale; they are not laboratory measurements or a simple average of customer star ratings. Feature scores summarize the reviews covering that feature. The overall score averages feature scores within each review, then combines review averages. When both expert and customer evidence are available, those two groups receive equal weight. Products can have different review coverage, so small score gaps do not establish a winner.

Recommendations prioritize important features for the category, with a score of at least 3.5, a gap of at least 0.25 points and at least two supporting reviews per product. Features with widely varying scores or broad connectivity contexts are excluded from recommendations. These safeguards do not establish statistical significance.

Quick verdict

What each product is best for

The review evidence points to a tradeoff: controls responsiveness and value for money versus family friendliness. Choose according to which strengths matter more to you; the overall score alone does not settle that choice.

Choose It Takes Two for controls responsiveness and value for money.

Choose The Jackbox Party Pack 12 for family friendliness.

Why these recommendations?

It Takes Two

Where It Has the Edge

  • controls responsiveness is 4.9 vs 2.0. Jumping, dashing, shooting, and using temporary gadgets generally feel immediate and natural. Their approachable design helps the game...
  • value for money is 5.0 vs 3.5. Players see generous value in the varied campaign, optional minigames, and the ability to invite a second online...
  • overall quality is 5.0 vs 3.9. The game earns emphatic recommendations for its design, creativity, and shared enjoyment, even from those who would not...

The Jackbox Party Pack 12

Where It Has the Edge

  • family friendliness is 3.7 vs 2.6. Family settings help control supplied prompts, and the structured card game can keep a gathering more focused. Player-written...
It Takes Two 4.4 overall score
The Jackbox Party Pack 12 3.8 overall score

Compare features

Scores are out of 5. Missing scores mean missing review evidence, not a missing feature.

Scored on both products

Controls and connectivity

Controls responsiveness
It Takes Two
4.9

Jumping, dashing, shooting, and using temporary gadgets generally feel immediate and natural. Their approachable design helps the game handle many different mechanics without cumbersome controls.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.0

Phone editing can feel imprecise or frustrating, especially for detailed changes against the clock. Touch controls also caused difficulty during fast Idol Factions sorting.

Voice acting
It Takes Two
4.9

The cast is widely praised for lively performances, believable arguments, comic timing, and strong emotional delivery. Their work often elevates material that some find weakly written.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.3

Synthetic plush voices help sell the card game’s final joke. Their silly, high-pitched delivery is repeatedly singled out as a highlight.

Other features

Monetization fairness
It Takes Two
5.0

The reasonably priced campaign and included online friend access are praised as consumer-friendly alternatives to multiplayer games built around add-on spending.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.8

Optional printed greeting cards are seen as an endearing extra despite their commercial purpose. Selling the desired trivia title separately drew a much sharper complaint about value.

Pacing
It Takes Two
4.6

Most praise the alternation of fast action, cooperative puzzles, and calmer exploration. A minority feel that repeated story interruptions and the lengthier back half slow the momentum.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.5

Idol Factions can begin too gently or slowly before added complications raise the energy. The opening is a recurring obstacle to an otherwise livelier quiz.

Game length
It Takes Two
4.3

Many find roughly a dozen hours of shifting mechanics generous and well paced, with some longer estimates. One dissenting view says the later chapters stretch a good idea past its natural finish.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.5

The greeting-card game can feel long when players struggle to be funny on demand. Its roughly twenty-minute commitment works better once the group has warmed up.

Innovation
It Takes Two
5.0

Its constant invention of new cooperative mechanics stands out in a genre where ideas often repeat. The variety rarely comes at the expense of polished execution.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
3.4

Photo manipulation and several new concepts refresh familiar Jackbox activities. Other reactions find the creative advances modest, with too many ideas feeling like variations on established staples.

Bug frequency
It Takes Two
4.0

Most describe a well-polished experience with very few technical problems. Isolated graphical glitches, a stuck character, and occasional desynchronization have been reported.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.5

An additional isolated MegaPals freeze adds to the early PC reliability concerns. The reported scope is limited, so this does not imply universal faults.

Writing quality
It Takes Two
2.5

The dialogue and relationship themes win praise for warmth and wit from some players. Others criticize shallow marital conflict, repetitive arguments, and abrupt shifts from comedy to cruelty.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.0

Debate and Switch’s charming writing helps its simple forum premise feel like a fuller party game. The supplied material gives players a playful starting point.

Art direction
It Takes Two
4.9

The toy-sized perspective, colorful fantasy spaces, and distinct chapter identities receive strong praise. Even the downgraded Switch port retains much of the underlying artistic charm.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
3.5

Hyperface’s distinctive presentation earns enthusiastic praise. Visual appeal is less consistent elsewhere: MegaPals is criticized as uninspired, while the debate game’s art is considered charming.

Difficulty balance
It Takes Two
3.3

Forgiving lives, frequent checkpoints, and a gradual ramp keep most of the adventure accessible. Challenge-focused players find much of it too easy, while less confident partners can still struggle with timed jumps.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.0

An overly easy first round in Idol Factions weakens its momentum and replay appeal for one group. The complaint concerns an underchallenging opening rather than the later chaos.

Humor
It Takes Two
3.2

Playful banter and bizarre supporting characters generate plenty of laughs, but Dr. Hakim in particular is polarizing. Some enjoy his goofiness; others cringe at his delivery and interruptions.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.4

Inside jokes, unexpected word matches and warped faces can produce sustained laughter. The funniest game varies with the group, and weaker prompts or a forced performance can stall the momentum.

Family friendliness
It Takes Two
2.6

The cartoony appearance masks divorce arguments, some coarse language, and a notably upsetting toy-elephant sequence. Playing with younger family members may require more discretion than the visuals suggest.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
3.7

Family settings help control supplied prompts, and the structured card game can keep a gathering more focused. Player-written messages still need oversight because filters cannot guarantee appropriate contributions.

Overall quality
It Takes Two
5.0

The game earns emphatic recommendations for its design, creativity, and shared enjoyment, even from those who would not replay it themselves.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
3.9

An enjoyable addition to the party rotation, with enough strong games to outweigh an uneven lineup. Enthusiasm ranges from a consistently excellent collection to an adequate pack missing a defining star.

Atmosphere
It Takes Two
5.0

The whimsical doll-scale environments create a sustained sense of wonder even when the actual challenge is modest.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.0

Idol Factions earns praise for its appealing mood alongside the team trivia. Its setting adds charm to the increasing chaos.

Competitive balance
It Takes Two
3.0

Most optional versus games are entertaining, but a few give one character a slight advantage over the other.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.0

Larger screens can give Hyperface players an advantage. The cramped editing space makes the creative contest less even across devices.

Content variety
It Takes Two
5.0

The game rarely repeats a trick: household locations introduce fresh powers, challenges, diversions, and even brief genre swaps. Its abundance of ideas is one of the clearest strengths.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.1

Word matching, greeting cards, photo manipulation, debate and team trivia give groups several distinct ways to play. That range also makes it less likely that every game will suit the same mood.

Gameplay mechanics
It Takes Two
4.8

New paired abilities arrive throughout the adventure, spanning platforming, shooting, racing, and surprising genre changes. The execution earns exceptional praise, with an occasional scripted section that feels too automatic.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.0

The familiar loop of writing responses and voting remains effective. Greeting-card themes give that established formula a clear comic purpose.

Learning curve
It Takes Two
5.0

Simple starting controls introduce players gradually to more involved maneuvers, allowing less experienced partners to improve as they progress.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.2

MegaPals and the greeting-card game are easy to grasp, and starting from photos lowers the creative barrier. Idol Factions can take longer to click despite its eventual appeal.

Co-op experience
It Takes Two
4.9

Two players depend on each other to get through inventive puzzles, set pieces, and boss encounters. Nearly everyone loves the partnership-driven design, though one player found the constant obligation to keep up exhausting.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.1

Idol Factions makes clear communication and division of labor matter. Organized teams can thrive, while shouting over one another turns useful coordination into confusion.

Fun factor
It Takes Two
4.9

Players repeatedly call the shared adventure a blast, from absurd set pieces to spontaneous discoveries. Even critics of the narrative often find the actual play tremendously entertaining.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.2

Several games consistently deliver an enjoyable time, with word matching and creative reveals producing memorable laughs. The short Rogue assessment finds the entire lineup appealing.

Onboarding experience
It Takes Two
5.0

On-screen prompts and intuitive controls ease players into the game’s ever-changing gadgets without lengthy mechanical explanations.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.4

Joining through a phone avoids the need to supply traditional controllers for everyone. Straightforward card-game setup and self-teaching guidance help the evening start smoothly.

Originality
It Takes Two
4.9

The inventive blend of cooperative mechanics and miniature-world spectacle feels fresh even when its central relationship story follows familiar beats.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.4

The all-new lineup is welcomed as a break from sequels and rereleases. Even where older mechanics are recognizable, the games can retain distinct identities.

Ownership and support

Value for money
It Takes Two
5.0

Players see generous value in the varied campaign, optional minigames, and the ability to invite a second online player through Friend’s Pass. Sale pricing makes the proposition even stronger.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
3.5

Regular groups can get good value from repeated evenings of play. The price is less persuasive if only a few activities appeal, and some players would prefer a sale.

Replay value
It Takes Two
4.4

Switching Cody and May reveals different abilities and perspectives, while discovered minigames can be replayed separately. Many want a second run, though one frustrated partner had no desire to repeat it.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
3.6

Hyperface and MegaPals give several groups compelling reasons to return. Others find the photo tools limiting or feel Idol Factions’ slow opening damages repeat appeal.

Comfort and build

Multiplayer design
It Takes Two
5.0

The campaign is built around simultaneous, complementary player actions instead of adding another player as an afterthought. Coordination is central to how it works.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.5

Audience voting and heckling let a large crowd participate beyond the main players. This broader involvement supports the collection’s low-barrier party format.

Performance

Soundtrack quality
It Takes Two
4.8

The music frequently complements whimsical exploration, tense chases, and emotional story beats. One listener wanted more distinctive music during big moments, but most admire the varied score.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.5

Hyperface’s soundtrack is praised alongside its presentation. The music contributes to the appeal of its unusual photo-editing style.

Evidence available for one product

Other features

Accessibility options
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.5

Content controls, timer adjustments and other access settings help more players join in. Phone-based participation and audience options also keep the entry barrier low.

Animation quality
It Takes Two
5.0

Cartoon-like motion and lively expressions bring the dolls and cinematic moments to life. The exaggerated style suits the inventive setting.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Character development
It Takes Two
5.0

Several players appreciate how the bickering parents gradually learn to support each other. Others find the overall romance unconvincing despite the visible changes in their behavior.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Character roster
It Takes Two
4.0

The small cast is memorable for its lively supporting toys and central pair, although the protagonists can wear on players over time.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Checkpoint system
It Takes Two
5.0

Instant or rapid respawns and generous checkpoints keep failure from destroying momentum. Even tougher boss fights usually preserve enough progress to encourage experimentation.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Co-op communication
It Takes Two
4.6

Progress requires talking, timing actions together, and understanding what the other character can do. That creates memorable teamwork but can also expose frustration when partners move at different speeds.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Co-op role balance
It Takes Two
3.8

Most chapters give both characters meaningful complementary jobs, but not every section feels equally entertaining. Some notice one role acting first or getting the more exciting mechanic.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Core gameplay loop
It Takes Two
5.0

A polished platforming foundation keeps the experience engaging through the constant rotation of gadgets and cooperative obstacles.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Couch co-op quality
It Takes Two
4.8

Playing side by side makes coordinating jumps, reacting to surprises, and laughing together especially rewarding. Less patient pairs may find waiting for one another stressful.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Crash stability
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.0

Reported early PC freezes can prevent Hyperface from finishing. The warning is platform-specific and does not establish that every copy or console version is affected.

Cutscene skippability
It Takes Two
3.0

Cutscenes can be skipped if both players agree to hold a button, but their length still frustrates some viewers.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Cutscene visual quality
It Takes Two
2.0

Switch cutscenes lose much of the sharper console presentation, with visibly rough textures and distracting loading or resolution issues.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Device compatibility
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
1.5

Hyperface produced hardware-acceleration warnings across the tested phones, and one older device could not display its images. Device capability can become a practical barrier to participation.

Dialogue quality
It Takes Two
2.3

Relationship banter can feel honest and funny, but repeated arguments, awkward jokes, and mild profanity sometimes undercut the otherwise charming tone.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Emotional impact
It Takes Two
4.3

Marriage conflict, a distressed child, and moments of reconciliation can be genuinely moving. A few find the finale overly sweet, but others praise how gameplay reinforces the feelings.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Environmental detail
It Takes Two
5.0

Exquisitely arranged household objects, tiny settlements, garden spaces, and tactile doll materials make each setting memorable. Close inspection often reveals playful surprises.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Exploration quality
It Takes Two
5.0

Venturing off the direct path reveals interactive toys, hidden challenges, and small environmental jokes. Wandering around is rewarding even in this linear adventure.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Faithfulness to franchise
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.5

Idol Factions recaptures the classic combination of trivia knowledge, quick reactions and opponent sabotage. It gives the collection a welcome link to the appeal of You Don’t Know Jack.

Frame rate stability
It Takes Two
4.8

Performance is generally fluid across the versions discussed, including the Switch’s handheld presentation. Minor dips or occasional visual compromises appear in especially busy scenes.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Graphics quality
It Takes Two
4.1

On the original console and PC versions, colorful environments and attractive materials impress. The Switch preserves the art style but noticeably lowers resolution and texture quality.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Handheld play suitability
It Takes Two
4.0

Handheld Switch performance stays smooth and comparable to docked play, although arranging two suitable sets of controls is less convenient.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
HUD clarity
It Takes Two
5.0

Contextual button prompts and visual highlights make it easy to identify which objects respond to a character’s tools.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Hyperface photo editing
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
3.9

Warping familiar faces produces some of the pack’s biggest laughs without requiring drawing skills. Small editing areas, awkward phone tools and limited precision make it much less successful for some groups.

Immersion
It Takes Two
5.0

Interacting with outsized everyday objects and having the players’ cooperation mirror the characters’ struggles makes the adventure unusually absorbing.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
MegaPals word matching
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.2

Discovering that another person made the same strange association is a recurring highlight. Later rounds depend on player answers becoming usable prompts, so private references and awkward phrases can flatten the fun.

Minigame quality
It Takes Two
4.8

Hidden competitive diversions, from chess and whack-a-mole to racing and rhythm challenges, add welcome breaks from the campaign. They are fun to find, replay, and use for friendly rematches.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Movement feel
It Takes Two
5.0

Running, double-jumping, air-dashing, swinging, and sliding feel fluid and enjoyable. The movement remains a reliable foundation even as each chapter changes the surrounding rules.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Narrative quality
It Takes Two
3.5

A troubled couple learning to cooperate moves some players deeply, while others find the reconciliation contrived, overly simplistic, or awkwardly dark. Story reactions are much more divided than gameplay reactions.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Narrative tone consistency
It Takes Two
1.0

The shift between a child’s anguish, marital counseling comedy, and sudden cruelty feels jarring to some, making the story harder to embrace.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Online stability
It Takes Two
3.5

Online cooperation is generally playable, though occasional rubberbanding, desynchronization, or drops crop up in Switch accounts.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Photo import options
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.0

Hyperface’s stock portraits and selfies do not satisfy everyone’s creative wishes. The inability to upload existing phone photos is a specific disappointment.

Platforming precision
It Takes Two
4.4

The jumping and air-dash toolkit is normally responsive and forgiving, offering reliable control over tricky gaps. A few players struggled with depth judgments, timing, or keeping pace with a stronger partner.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Sandbox freedom
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
3.8

Hyperface leaves room for subtle edits or grotesque transformations. The card game’s more open plush round also earns praise for letting players respond more freely.

Side character depth
It Takes Two
2.5

The colorful side cast supplies memorable comic relief, but Dr. Hakim divides opinion sharply. His antics are either a highlight or the biggest irritation in the entire story.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Social features
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.5

Phones become tools for shared laughter, unexpected connections and conversations after the game. MegaPals is especially effective at revealing shared references and surprising mental connections.

Solo play quality
It Takes Two
1.0

There is no solo campaign: every progression puzzle and set piece requires a second human player.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Split-screen quality
It Takes Two
5.0

A clear view of both players helps coordination during shared and separated tasks. The implementation remains functional and fluid even on less powerful hardware.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Tutorial quality
It Takes Two
5.0

New players can pick up more demanding traversal skills naturally as the game introduces abilities and opportunities to practice them.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Violence level
It Takes Two
2.0

Most action is fantastical, but the deliberately distressing destruction of a pleading toy elephant struck some as more disturbing than the lighthearted art suggests.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
World interactivity
It Takes Two
5.0

Optional toys, instruments, dominoes, and small surprises reward curiosity beyond mandatory objectives. Exploring the environments is enjoyable largely because so many objects react.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet

Controls and connectivity

Age appropriateness
It Takes Two
3.0

The teen-oriented material is more mature than its bright art might imply, with strained family relationships and occasional coarse or unsettling moments.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Protagonist appeal
It Takes Two
2.4

Cody and May can feel believable and sympathetic as their relationship evolves, but their frequent squabbling and selfish actions seriously alienate some players.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet

Comfort and build

Boss design
It Takes Two
4.9

Inventive encounters regularly test each player’s new abilities together, sometimes in unexpected genres. Most find these fights fun and rewarding, often among the more demanding moments.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Controller ergonomics
It Takes Two
3.0

The Switch’s Joy-Cons function, but one player found them less comfortable or optimal for the busy two-stick control scheme.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Debate and Switch design
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.7

Changing a word mid-debate and watching live audience reactions can spark inspired nonsense. It is also the most frequently criticized inclusion, with reluctant speakers and quieter groups often finding it flat.

Idol Factions trivia design
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
4.1

Real-time routing, bombs and teamwork turn trivia into an energetic coordination game. Several call it a favorite, although others dislike its slow opening, confusing start or hectic two-player workload.

Level design
It Takes Two
5.0

Inventive versions of a shed, garden, bedroom, snow globe, and more deliver constantly changing traversal and cooperative puzzles. Players praise both the spectacle and how carefully each area uses its own gadgets.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Puzzle design
It Takes Two
4.8

Partner-specific abilities turn switches, platforms, and environmental objects into clever joint challenges. Most puzzles feel satisfying, although some are simple and a few unclear optional tasks can frustrate.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
Sound design
It Takes Two
5.0

Lively environmental effects, spatial changes, gadget sounds, and distinct ambient details create a rich soundscape. Reviewers particularly appreciate how audio matches the changing action.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet
User interface design
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
2.3

Hyperface’s small creative workspace and initially cumbersome tools can get in the way of the joke. Simple distortions are easier to manage than carefully sculpted images.

We Forgot a Card design
It Takes TwoNo score yet
The Jackbox Party Pack 12
3.9

An easy warm-up that gives players a concrete setup for writing absurd messages. Its familiar format can feel routine, while the talking-plush finale often supplies the freshest laughs.

World-building
It Takes Two
5.0

An everyday house becomes a lively miniature universe of talking objects, hostile critters, and themed areas. The imaginative scale gives familiar spaces an unusual charm.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet

Performance

Performance optimization
It Takes Two
5.0

The game maintains convincing fluidity while rendering two viewpoints and frequent set pieces. Switch visuals are simplified to preserve enjoyable performance.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet

Ownership and support

Platform-specific feature support
It Takes Two
4.0

Switch adds couch, local wireless, and online options, making play flexible despite its weaker visual presentation.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12No score yet

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