You Don't Know Jack

The folks at Jellyvision/Jackbox Games knows how to construct a game show. Rather it was USA Network’s “Smush” or ABC’s You Don’t Know Jack (okay… maybe not)

But Fibbage would easily work as a game show (5 contestants, tell fibs to one another, find the truth, avoid the lies)

But it got me thinking - what about a You Don’t Know Jack game show? But like, not like that version on ABC?

There are so many ways to take it, you could give 3 players screws and have a single contestant pick between 3 categories, for $1,000; $2,000 or $3,000 like the original PC edition

You could have it be like The Ride or 5th Dementia where they buzz-in for the amount for the question, while there is a woven story-based on a theme like “Censorship” or “Super Bowl”

You could do a mix of both like Louder-Faster Funnier

You could say “let everybody answer the question” like the Jackbox Party Pack editions ($2000 per question but it ticks away every second) or just a solid $1000 a question like in the recent edition.

And then what mini-games? Gibberish Question? Dis or Dat? Anagram Question? Bug Out? what about those?

So here’s JORDAN’S TENTATIVE YOU DON’T KNOW JACK FORMAT THAT WILL PROBABLY CHANGE IN A COUPLE MONTHS

The answer is simple - it’s everything!
The format, at least in my mind, is that we have 3 players, but NO screws in the beginning (wait for it)

Each episode is “themed” or has a base story, the host is addicted to a new sponsor, the questions are all about death, something.

The game lasts for 13 questions. 5 “Trivia” + 1 “Gimmick”, 5 Trivia + 1 “Gimmick” then the Jack Attack. The game follows protocol - correct answers win money, wrong answers lose money (and have clever insults)

When we start the game, all three players select between two categories, which is the first question that is a simple buzz-in for $1000.

That winning player then decides between two-categories, the old category or a new category for themselves, for $2000.

Then we go into the final unselected question for $3000 straight away.

(FIRST COMMERCIAL BREAK, maybe a nice fake ad as well)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5A6Knxrouc

Then we start the first “Everybody Plays” question for $2000 (with the ticking money clock)

Then a “gimmick” trivia question such as an Elephant Mustard Teddy Roosevelt or Dracula or Funky Trash or “Pissed About a Question” or the introduction to “Celebrity Collect Call” that is also on the clock for $2,000.

After this comes “a mini-game” - all three players select a value ranging from $0 to $10000, press your luck style. These could be combined to create the starting value of a Gibberish, or determine who has the highest value to play “Dis or Dat” (with the other two splitting money on any that they get wrong and they get right) or a bonus for completing Jack Bingo, Road Kill or Bug Out.

The lowest scoring player gets the one and only screw.

(SECOND COMMERCIAL BREAK)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh6Ma8X3XcA

In “Round 2” the values are double, obviously, but this time the player with the screw has the only “SCREW BUZZER”, this forces a player of their choice to answer the question. If they get it wrong, they LOSE the value of the question and they EARN the value of the question. However, if they get it right, that player earns the money, but the screwer LOSES the value instead.

Not only that, but this time, there are THREE CATEGORIES on the board to choose from, and the person with the screw gets to decide.

This question is worth $2000.

Then they have to choose one of the other 2 questions for $4000

Then the last question is worth $6000

(THIRD COMMERCIAL BREAK)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=254B_195eUY

and then the two “everybody plays” questions worth up to $4,000 each. (a screw here, stops the clock and forces one player to answer at the amount, if they fail, the clock continues for the remaining two players to get money)

One of these two is yet another “gimmick” question, even if it’s audio-visual or something to do with “the wrong answer of the game” ($1000 bonuses are allowed on certain questions)

Then we have everybody enter “the mini-game” yet again with the values determined yet again, but after this round - WE GO TO THE ATTACK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdfMBisVJN8

Now, the game has all three players looking at different monitors in a triangle style, between each other, almost like a stand-off. “Remember The Clue” with the clue being read… however unlike Jack-Attacks of Old. There is no words floating by…

If the clue is “Who’s Your Dog?” and the word “BART SIMPSON” is shown, the first to buzz-in to say “SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER” wins the money,

The first clue is worth $1,000 (+/-) and goes up to $2,000, then $3,000 all the way to the final clue worth $10,000. Whoever has the most money at the end of this round wins and takes their money home. Runners-Up… had fun?

And yes, there will be Segue songs, and one final “You Don’t Know Jack”

The first three questions in each of the rounds are played very fast, except for with set-ups and punchlines and category selection, When it gets to the next two where everybody plays, it sets up jokes and breaks up ties. The Mini-Games are what should eat up most of the time, but have the most variety.

I’m not putting consideration into hosting, because I am still up in the air over that, but I love all the variety of formats over the years, and just trying to keep it fresh is the important part.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gr0SDcmhp0