Preview: Trivia Murder Party 3 Is Still a Far Cry from the Quality of Its Sequel
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TAME OTONITY – Jackbox quiz games tend to be at their best when they find the right mechanics, stick to them, and don’t try to cram in too many other elements just to pad out the content or improve the quality. This holds true for games like *You Don’t Know Jack* and *Fibbage*.
Now that Trivia Murder Party 3 is in early access, I feel this might also be a valid concern. The quiz elements are still solid, but I’m not convinced by the new minigames—especially since those additions seem most likely to cause the game to crash.
In theory, the overall concept behind Trivia Murder Party remains the focus in version 3. You answer questions to save your life from a serial killer—this time with a customizable voodoo doll avatar—and you can unlock new designs and accessories by earning XP through matches with both friends and strangers.
(Yes, there’s an online opponent-search feature this time.) Only one person can survive, with poor performance, mini-games, and even a random “killer” who picks one person to eliminate if everyone is playing too well.
Since this is still in early access, it seems that some elements are missing or not yet fully developed because of that. For example, voice acting only appears for the serial killer host in certain parts, and not for things like questions.
The questions also seem to be mostly related to pop culture, such as TV shows and movies. Strangely, when themed questions do appear, they aren’t limited to horror-themed holidays like Halloween, but also include Christmas (as evidenced by a question about a Yule log) and New Year’s Eve.
