Jackbox Games faces an unusual challenge when testing its comedy-focused party games: sometimes the people playing them are funnier than the games themselves. CEO Mike Bilder has revealed that the studio frequently encounters misleading test results because its employees include talented comedy writers who can make almost any concept entertaining.
Speaking with associate editor Ted Litchfield in an interview with PC Gamer, Bilder explained why internal testing alone is not enough to determine whether a new Jackbox game will connect with its intended audience.
Jackbox Uses External Playtesters to Avoid Misleading Results
Bilder explained that Jackbox conducts extensive internal testing before bringing in outside groups once a game receives approval to move forward.
He said the studio wants to avoid becoming too dependent on its employees’ opinions and ensure that its games appeal to a broader audience. As Bilder explained,
“We want to make sure that we’re not just local-biased with our own opinions on things.”
The challenge becomes particularly noticeable because Jackbox employs people who are naturally entertaining. Their jokes, hosting abilities, and improvisational skills can make an ordinary gameplay session appear much more successful than it actually is.
Bilder described this problem as getting “a lot of false positives” during internal testing. He even joked that studio creative director Arnie Niekamp can sometimes be responsible for making a game seem entertaining simply because of his personality.
Mike Bilder Says Jackbox Will Keep Its Creative Work Human-Made
The CEO also discussed generative AI during the interview, making it clear that Jackbox has no plans to replace human creators with AI-generated comedy, writing, or artwork.
“The people are what make this product,”
Bilder stated, emphasizing that the studio’s creative identity depends on its employees. He added that the company has no intention of changing its approach to producing comedy and artistic content.
These comments reinforce Jackbox’s emphasis on human creativity, particularly for games built around improvisation, humour, and social interaction.
The studio’s testing process also reflects that philosophy. Rather than relying entirely on entertaining sessions with its own employees, Jackbox wants to establish whether its games remain enjoyable when played by people with different personalities and senses of humour.
For a company whose games depend heavily on group interaction, finding that balance is essential to ensuring that the entertainment comes from the game itself rather than simply the people playing it.
