Gaming Alone Together Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jackbox

Though the original "You Don't Know Jack!" games first released on computers back in the mid-1990s, acting as a video game answer to quirky pub trivia, Jackbox Studios didn't hit a second wind until the introduction of the "Jackbox Party Packs", sets of short-run games playable from mobile devices that log into private rooms. The first of these released in 2014 and, since its introduction, players have gotten their hands on dozens of unique games allowing them to answer trivia, test their drawing capabilities, solve puzzles, play deception games, and use their wit to beat out their friends.

Sales of the "Jackbox" games jolted during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic with tech-savvy players streaming their games online so that friends could play remotely.

Answer: Among Us

Though it came out in 2018, "Among Us" became a popular streaming game at the start of 2020 when popular Twitch users started playing this social deduction title online and in groups. The aim is simple; some players are killers and some are not. Those who are not need to try to stay alive while completing enough tasks to escape. When a player's body is found, the surviving players can play a game of social deduction and attempt to stop the killer(s), but any wrong guesses result in people being removed from the game.

"Among Us" became wildly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing people to indulge in the memes of a simple-in-concept game with loads of devious possibilities. Think "Werewolf" or "Secret Hitler", but in space and with extra steps.

Answer: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Similar to "Among Us", "Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout" received a surge in popularity during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, managing to release during a window of time at which gamers were onboard for any sort of game to play en masse and online.

While "Among Us" resulted from being found later in its lifespan, "Fall Guys" released organically in mid-2020, getting adopted by players seeking inconsequential battle royale mini-games in the vein of "Takeshi's Castle"-- think 'The Hunger Games', but with charming little bean characters. "Fall Guys" would end up on every system of the generation, becoming an Epic Games Store exclusive on PC in 2022.

Answer: Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

If you're a fan of quick thinking, immediate pressure, and complex reading, then you'll probably enjoy "Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes", a game with the simple process of defusing a bomb...with all the complexity of confusing a bomb. One person handles the bomb (either on PC or with a VR headset) while everyone else has to communicate the process by which the bomb can be defused.

The catch is that the bomb handler has all the info-- no one else sees the bomb-- and everyone else has the instructions...in the form of a complex manual.

The game is almost all about communication, but does require some dexterity, problem-solving, and patience.

Answer: Overcooked

And by scramble, you may think, how much? Quite a bit. Unless you're communicating and creating a game plan in "Overcooked", you and your other players might find yourselves running into one another and failing to deliver the different meals expected of you from kitchen to kitchen, some of which are in volcanoes, on the backs of moving vehicles, and on icebergs. All of the adventure leads to a battle on the top of a building, feeding an ever-hungry boss.

The original "Overcooked" released in 2016, but a sequel appeared in 2018, bringing more of the same craziness to all modern platforms.

Answer: Animal Crossing: New Horizons

One of the earlier game releases of the COVID-19 pandemic, "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" provided the connectivity needed for a modern game along with the sense of escapism needed for many gamers to get through the first wave of lockdowns. It's no surprise that this lo-fi Nintendo title, the fifth in its series, became a smash hit, positioning itself as one of the most successful game releases of 2020.

In it, players washed up on a near-deserted island and started their lives in a new environment, building up their home (and town) with all the amenities to make it...well...a home. Players could visit other players' islands by connecting via friend codes online.

Answer: Phasmophobia

Though released on early access in 2020, "Phasmophobia" hit it big during the autumn of 2020, bringing a much-needed spooky spin to online video gaming at a time when players were looking for exactly that. In this game, you play a member of a ghost-hunting crew sent to investigate haunted structures. Your aim is to use tools provided (or purchased) to properly identify the spirit you're tracking down...without getting killed by it, of course.

Answer: It Takes Two

In this game, two arguing parents, bickering in front of their young daughter, were transformed into two ragtag toys and needed to set out, with the help of a Book of Love, to return to their bodies and, at the very least, work together doing so. The game's story and platformer elements were highly praised upon its release, leading "It Takes Two" to be regarded as the game of the year by numerous outlets.

Interestingly, the game did not have a single-player option, meaning that any progress required the involvement of two remote or local players.

Answer: Man of Medan

The first in an anthology of story-focussed horror titles where your choices can effect every last detail, "Man of Medan" followed the story of a group of divers who come across a ghost ship. Though the game can be experienced by one player, up to five players could embark on the tale in 'Movie Night' (though not all of them would make it out alive necessarily). Though "Man of Medan" released before the COVID-19 pandemic, it and its immediate follow-ups, "Little Hope" and "House of Ashes", proved to be success stories for Supermassive Games, bringing a game format to the genre in strong outings.

Answer: Valheim

Published by "Goat Simulator" (you heard that right) developers Coffee Stain Studios, "Valheim" hit it big in 2021 due in part to a wave of survival games that emerged in this generation of gaming. Coupled with ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns, "Valheim" allowed players to escape (with a crew) into the roles of Vikings as they loosely navigated a procedurally-generated world killing a handful of difficult bosses (five in total). Though only in early access at the time of original released, it was fully-formed enough to hit a massive wave of popularity, being a major streamable title on PC.