For years Jackbox Party Packs have been a fun way to socialise with friends and family. Sometimes packs are full of hits, and other times a few misses. But when the first Trivia Murder Party was introduced in Jackbox Party Pack 3, it was clear it would be a returning favourite. Now, after two iterations, Jackbox Games brings us an expanded standalone title, Trivia Murder Party 3.

Launching in early access, Jackbox Games takes their serial killer quiz master from a murderous hotel to an 80's slasher horror summer camp called Camp Mass Acres. Alongside a new locale comes an added dimension; Trivia Murder Party 3 is the first Jackbox game to be made in 3D.

Video Review: Trivia Murder Party 3 (Early Access)

Up to 8 players embody emotive pin dolls brought to life with distinct animations and detailed fabric. All of which can be customised when you log into the room code on a registered Jackbox account. For anyone familiar with Jackbox Games' titles, you'll know this is how you play and interact with the game - a true second screen experience.

The device connectivity is as solid as ever, and allows players to input answers, take part in mini games, activate jump scares, and use emotes to express your disappointment or happiness. But once everyone has logged into the room, the host has the option to choose a private game or to take their party online. It's a simple but game changing addition which impacts the longevity of the game. Yet it's the ability to be able to play single-player online that's a clever addition.

After launching an offline private match, Trivia Murder Party 3's serial killer host makes their off-screen appearance. The quiz master's dialogue is as darkly comedic as ever, offering murderous quips that keep players' attention throughout. Yet after several games the tutorialising was repetitive and impacted the pace of the three round competition. I only hope Jackbox Games adds the ability to turn off explanations to streamline games for those who've already played numerous matches.

At its horror parodying heart, Trivia Murder Party 3 is an amalgamation of trivia and mini games. It includes a vast batch of new questions and short mini games. Questions vary from popular culture, topical, obscure, and more. But if the US centric questions venture too much into the minutiae of America, you can turn them off. Being from the UK, I found many of the broader American questions fun, but there were some I was unfamiliar with.

Each match contains three rounds containing a trivia round and a mini game. Trivia Murder Party 3 starts with a trivia round. Sometimes a normal multiple choice general knowledge quiz; other times, a similar quiz with game changing modifiers, like allowing players to point the beam of a flashlight to illuminate a question that's shrouded in darkness. This modifier allows players to choose whether to work together to decipher the question, or make it harder for everyone - a nice twist on the usual trivia mode.

Another modifier is the ability to use jumpscares on the television screen or on a player's device. These have the potential to put people off, but in the grand scheme of things, they're more of a fun distraction than anything else. If Jackbox Games can add more modifiers during early access, it will help to improve replayability.

Back to the competition itself, Trivia Murder Party 3 repeats the format of earning points by giving correct answer or winning mini games. But this time there are many game altering decisions that might end up being divisive amongst the fan base. In past entries, wrong answers meant death and being out of the game. Now, you become a ghost that's able to continue competing. It's a massive change that has huge consequences.

For competitive friend groups, the idea of minimum consequences for getting answers wrong won't be ideal, as it changes the game significantly. But for those who prefer the approachable Mario Party mindset of anyone being able to win right until the end, Trivia Murder Party 3 has much to enjoy.

While some people will enjoy the ability to continue playing with friends from beginning to end, some will dislike the reduced stakes. But I honestly found it fine, as more players kept the mini games and finale more interesting. Yet, I do believe Jackbox Games should consider adding the old permadeath mode during early access as an optional mode.

With everyone still in the game, Trivia Murder Party 3 shows who's alive or a ghost between rounds during its leaderboard update. This is represented by the doll-like avatars being suspended on different lengths of thread over a camp fire. Although players who are already ghosts will be automatically lower than the alive players regardless of whether they have a higher score. The new point system adds value to being alive in the finale: a race to escape. But I'll get back to that later.

After completing a round of trivia, the killer host takes the competitors to participate in a mini game: fast-paced activities that often pit alive players against the ghosts, to try to earn the right to be resurrected. One mini game called Pouring has contestants stand behind mason jars filled with different amounts of blood. Using your device, you tap and hold a picture of an empty jar on your phone until blood fills to the amount you believe will fill your jar. It's a simple but approachable game for anyone.

Another is called Chalices which sees ghosts choose a cup to poison, and then, alive players have to choose a chalice to drink from. A game of chance that gets harder when there's more ghosts. Another game that can instantly change the starting positions of the finale.

Image: Trivia Murder Party 3 - Scoreboard

Whereas Mind Meld asks you to write a word related to a specific topic. Players must choose their own word and hope it doesn't match what other players have chosen. Or a quickfire maths round. Each game is simple and approachable for casual and experienced gamers; I only wish you could limit the tutorialising to improve the pace of the game. But thankfully, the script and voice performance of the killer are both amusing and immersive.

There is also more interactive mini games, like one where you move around a box to avoid a chainsaw by looking at different pictures of the box from multiple angles. Or one where a player enters a five letter word and the rest have to try to guess it within the time limit. It's a strong starting point for an early access release to build on with future updates.

But every trivia round and mini game leads up to the finale: a race to board a truck to escape Camp Mass Acres as a deadly vehicle constantly moves forwards to kill you. Living players start at the front of the grid of squares, whilst ghosts line up behind in point order. The race is essentially a fast-paced trivia round. Although, now there can be more than one correct answer to select; each correct answer moves a player one square forward.

Despite a living players positional advantage, ghosts get three multiple choice answers to each question, which can lead them to getting three places when the frontrunner can only move a maximum of two. It creates a thrilling chase for the pursuing competitors who switch into a living form when they pass the leader. Yet a couple of bad turns can lead the back of the pack to a quick death.

The finale is where the 3D perspective really works. With a big group all chatting and using emotes to express themselves, alongside the funny death and escape animations and credits sequence, it feels like an enjoyable party game. As what's there in regards to the atmospheric score, voice acting and questions are all strong. Granted there's still necessary work to be done in early access. As things like the location and death animations could be more varied.

That being said, while the game needs more content for a standalone release, the foundation is unsurprisingly solid for the beginning of its early access period. After all, Jackbox Games have been making similar games for a very long time. If they continue to improve the overall experience with more questions, new mini games, more modifiers, some additional locations, and quality of life features like skippable tutorials, Trivia Murder Party 3 should become a great party game to add into anyone's rotation.

*Review Copy Provided By Publisher (Early Access so the game will change over time)

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