You Don't Know Jack is back--and it's awesome
Stocked with up-to-the-minute trivia questions (Charlie Sheen, anyone?) and hosted by the beloved Cookie, YDKJ makes a glorious iOS debut.
The best Jack since Bauer...is back.
I'm talking, of course, about You Don't Know Jack, the hilarious PC (though not always "PC") trivia game that debuted way back in 1995. It spawned all kinds of sequels, but has been AWOL for over a decade.
That changed a few months ago, when YDKJ came roaring back for Windows and game consoles. And today, I'm giddy to report, Jack has hit the App Store. The verdict? It is, without question, the best iOS trivia game to date.
For those unfamiliar with the series, YDKJ plays like a game show, complete with wisecracking host Cookie, who reprises his snark- and sarcasm-filled role from the originals. Each episode (there are 20 in the game) consists of 10 timed questions: some multiple choice, some "specialty" types of question like DisOrDat and Who's the Dummy?
The faster you answer each question, the more money you earn--or lose, if you get it wrong. Each episode ends with the Jack Attack, a kind of bonus round.
The questions, most of them drawn from pop culture, range from wacky to irreverent. And at least a few are incredibly timely, with topics including Elizabeth Taylor's burial (careful, it's a trick question) and Charlie Sheen.
The only thing missing here is the social element: YDKJ for iOS is exclusively a one-player exercise. Developer Jellyvision promises "episode and feature updates" in the near future, and I hope that means some multiplayer love.
Even so, YDKJ is definitely worth the $2.99 asking price ($4.99 for iPad). Not convinced? You can try the two-episode You Don't Know Jack Lite edition absolutely free.
Bottom line: If you like trivia, or laughter, or fun of any kind, you'll love this game.