Is the game funny, or just the players? Jackbox CEO says they get ‘a lot of false positives’ with a staff of comedy writers

Jackbox Games CEO Mike Bilder says the studio tests its party games with outside groups because staff comedy writers can make a game seem funnier than it is. The distinction matters because the games rely on groups with different tastes and social dynamics, so laughter in an internal playtest may not show that the game itself works for a wider audience.

Bilder said Jackbox first tests games internally, then brings in external players to guard against relying only on staff opinions. He described these internal results as “false positives”, since funny employees can carry a weak concept through jokes or hosting. He also said the company intends to keep people responsible for its comedy, writing and art, rather than change that approach for generative AI.