Independent board game developer Sam Greszes has accused Jackbox Games of plagiarizing his work. Greszes alleges that "Debate and Switch," a newly released game in the Jackbox Party Pack 12, bears a striking resemblance to his own board game, "Die On This Hill," which he pitched to Jackbox Games for a potential video game adaptation. Both games reportedly involve players assembling and arguing for or against silly debate topics, feature an audience voting component, and allow for the modification of topic words.
Greszes stated that he sent a demo of "Die On This Hill" to Jackbox Games in early 2025 after initial expressions of interest. Following the demo, he claims communication from Jackbox dwindled. Over a year later, he discovered a YouTube video announcing "Debate and Switch."
"It feels like a betrayal," Greszes told Kotaku, expressing disappointment from a fan who has enjoyed Jackbox games for years. He developed "Die On This Hill" in 2024 after being laid off, aiming to create a fun, argumentative social game. The game uses word cards to form mad-lib style phrases for players to debate, with non-debating players voting for their preferred argument. Greszes successfully funded the board game through a Kickstarter campaign in late 2024.
Before distributing physical copies, Greszes contacted Jackbox Games, hoping to see "Die On This Hill" adapted into a video game. He described initial meetings as promising, with Jackbox representatives discussing financials and pricing. Greszes indicated he was amenable to these terms, prioritizing the game's release over profit. He noted that while Jackbox requested a demo, no formal or verbal contract was established, and his attempts to secure an agreement regarding potential involvement were unsuccessful.
Copies of "Die On This Hill" began shipping to backers in March 2025, with one copy sent to Jackbox Games. Greszes followed up multiple times regarding their thoughts on the game but received responses indicating no one had had time to play it. Communication eventually ceased.
Recently, months after contact ended, Greszes discovered a YouTube video discussing the development of "Debate and Switch" and a stream demo from Pax West 2026 showcasing gameplay with fill-in-the-blank prompts, player debates, and audience voting, features he believes are directly inspired by his game.
While acknowledging that game mechanics cannot be copyrighted and that no contract was in place, Greszes expressed his astonishment on social media. He is not seeking financial compensation or an apology, but stated that acknowledgment and promotion from Jackbox Games would have been an honor. Kotaku has reached out to Jackbox Games for comment.