You Don't Know Jack

"Simple, hilarious, and just plain fun."

You Don't Know Jack is a trivia game that's not afraid to be mean to you. It's definetely not your average trivia game. It's in a game show format, and each question is worth a dollar amount. If you get it right, you get that much money. If you get the question wrong, you lose that much money. Sounds simple, right? It is, but it goes much further than that.

You can already tell how great this game will be if you wait too long to type in your name. This may sound odd, but if you wait, it will give you a name. Some of these names are "Gonna Lose," "Schmitty," and even "Bunny Fart." Then, as you get into the game, you further realize its unique style. The categories are often enough to bring a laugh. And the questions are even better. Here's an example from the instruction book:

Poor Sybil. She has multiple personalities and must complete a tax form. Given she has 17 personalities, twin girls, and a dog, how many exemptions is she entitled to on a W-4?

1. three
2. two
3. four
4. nineteen

That's one of the less funny ones. There are also Gibberish Questions, where you have to unscramble a phrase that the game gives you into a common cliche or saying. For example, if the gibberish is "Hey! Lenny craved his Ma Debby Burned!" then the answer is "A penny saved is a penny earned." And if these two aren't enough, each game closes with the Jack Attack question. This part makes or breaks your score. Unfortunately, it's very hard to describe, so you'll have to play to see.

So, if you're looking for a good party game, a good trivia game, or just a good game to play by yourself, go out and buy any of the You Don't Know Jack games. You won't be disappointed.

(Note: If you see a game called You Don't Know Jack: XL, get it. It contains 400 more questions than the regular You Don't Know Jack.)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/03/99, Updated 01/13/01