I consider myself something of a Jackbox veteran. The Jackbox Party Packs have been a staple of every party my friends and I organize for years now. It's difficult to choose a favorite game with icons such as Quipplash and Fibagge, Dictionarium and Monster Seeking Monster, Bomb Corp, etc. But through it all Trivia Murder Party has remained my top contender for one of the best games Jackbox has ever made, and I played the second one no more than a month ago. It's like I felt a new one was coming. So does Trivia Murder Party 3 hold up to its previous two iterations? Absolutely! But let me di(v)e into it.
There's a Killer at Summer Camp?!
First, we are now in an entirely new setting, at Camp Mass Acres! I love a good camp that's absolutely not ominous at all. The visuals of the game have been revamped to match the summer aesthetic, and I especially love the new scoring screen that is just the little Dolls roasting above fire. The "m" crossed out on the Smores sign to spell Scores instead is a perfect touch.
One thing is unchanged, and that's our trivia-loving killer who's attempting to take us all out with the power of knowledge! However, apart from his ever-quipping familiar voice, we will hear another one! The ghost of his dead mom! It's a funny homage to Jason and Pamela Voorhees, with the mom either hating on us for dying to quickly or hating on our host for not killing us quick enough. She can't do physical violence so she attacks us all with words.
The gameplay itself is unchanged. You answer trivia, you try to not get killed on the Killing Floor if you got it wrong, or you try to kill on the Killing Floor if you got it right! There's a few new features as well like the Plot Twists and the ability to customize your Dolls and Emote that really add to this third iteration of Trivia Murder Party. There's nothing more entertaining than spamming fart sounds and laughing the entire game.
One thing I would like to see in the game is the ability to slow down the question timers. It doesn't have to be a big change, just a little bit. Sometimes it's a struggle to comprehend the question at first, and a few more seconds would work wonders to help. Especially when it comes to non-native English speakers or people with Dyslexia.
Hit by the Plot Twist of Life!
A fun new feature in Trivia Murder Party 3 is the Plot Twist, and oh boy, did these really take us by surprise. The first game we played started with the Flashlight Trivia Plot Twist where all questions are hidden and players must use their flashlights to reveal answers. You need to clearly communicate which area you are lighting up for the question, but unfortunately, we did not communicate. We didn't even realize anything was wrong at first since we were still chatting, thinking everything was normal.
Safe to say, that round was the fastest one we ever played. The host kept bringing one person back to life with the Reviver Wheel, since the final round can only start after Round 3, but we really did our best to stay dead. Honestly, we couldn't even be mad, it was the most hilarious way to start a game.
Sadly, Plot Twists don't happen happen in every game, so I only got to experience one more and it was the Jumpscares. However, we didn't really experience it since it didn't work. It could have bugged out because we were all spamming the Jumpscare button to see what it does, but it also just could be a bug on its own. It's early access, so I'm sure it will work properly soon and then I'll get to scare my friends to death! No need for a Killing Floor when there's me!
Heading to the Chopping Block!
Speaking of Killing Floor, this is where the person (or persons) who didn't get the answer right go, while the rest try to kill them. It's a familiar concept from the previous two games, and we also get to see some familiar games like Chalices and Math. All my friends hate Math.
Apart from familiar games, there's also Archery, which is very camp themed and tests the shooting skills of the people that got the answer right. It feels even more personal than any of the other Killing Floor games when you shoot a bullseye through your friend's eye. Another new Fan Favorite among our group was the Chainsaw, and we especially loved how the host says: "I'm gonna be circling you with a chainsaw." The emphasis on the word circling was a great hit with the group, but the game is also extra fun to experience.
There's a bunch more Killing Floor games that you should absolutely experience yourself because I think this is where Trivia Murder Party shines the most. Yes, I do love the trivia part, but I especially love the part where I get to kill my friends for not knowing an answer. What other game will let you do that?!
Who will be the Final Doll of this Camp?
The Final Round is familiar from other games as well, except this one also got the campy redesign where Dolls run after a truck in order to be the Final Doll! If you get caught, a mower will take you out. But the best part of the final round? The end scene where one Doll jumps into the truck and gets away.
It's made even more hilarious when there is multiple people fighting to get into that truck. The first time the cutscene showed my friend and I both jumping, we thought both of us got the three answers right, only to show him bouncing off the truck and me triumphantly falling inside. It brings both the humor and that slight bit of last minute tension to see who will win. We still haven't managed to get multiple people into the truck, but I'll let you know when I find out if it's possible!
Should I Play Trivia Murder Party 3 Early Access?
If you're a fan of Jackbox games or party games in general, then Trivia Murder Party 3 should absolutely be your pick! I loved playing it again, and apart from the Jumpscares not working, I really didn't notice any issues with the game. It feels complete, it's fun, it's challenging, and most importantly, very murdery. My friends and I already play a round a night, so you can tell how much we liked it.
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