Comedy & Collaboration: Brooke Breit, Creative Director at Jackbox Games (S8E4)

“We set players up to be the stars of the show.” We’ve gathered a group of 4-6 players to try some collaborative games with mechanics that appeal to a wide variety of skills. These games are hilarious and we emerge feeling smart and witty. No, I’m not talking about the latest escape rooms. We have just finished a session of Jackbox Games. Jackbox Games are games for large groups of people who can participate via personal devices, no controllers needed. They offer a wide variety of gaming styles, including drawing games, trivia, presentation style games, and other types that encourage creativity and humor.  Brook Breit is a creative director at Jackbox Games, and she joins us to talk about their game development cycle, including theme selection, prototyping, the importance of humor, and prioritizing player engagement. She is also a veteran improv performer with stints at Second City and Hello From the Magic Tavern. Jackbox Games tend to reward creative brainstorming, and Brooke talks to us about how improv training has helped with both creating and playing party games. Brooke shares insights into Jackbox Games' philosophy of creating social, humor-filled party games that facilitate connection and engagement. I would love to see more escape rooms embrace the party game philosophy that winning is secondary to having a good time.   Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, & COGS by Clockwork Dog:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.  Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht