That’s You: The Gizmodo Review

That’s You is the first game released for Sony’s new PlayLink platform for the PlayStation 4. Out now, it’s a party game for two to six players, using your phone and a dedicated app for a “social quiz” that asks you to guess which of your friends or family everyone else thinks would be the answer to any of over 1000 questions.

Watch us play the first 15 minutes of a game of That’s You.

Which of your family members would survive longest in the wild? Which one of your friends was most recently sick in the street? Who among you is the worst chef? These are the kind of questions that That’s You asks. The questions are, by and large, pretty silly and lighthearted, but there’s just enough of a competitive element to the gameplay to make it worthwhile to try to win.

We gave it a go last week with a group of four in the office, and came away impressed. I played it at E3, and while the experience was definitely different with four complete strangers, it was still fun — only a few of the questions really rely on any deep intimate knowledge of the group you’re playing with. But it’s made for people you know, because the interaction as you’re answering questions is what That’s You is all about.

You can choose the length of a game of That’s You — and exclude any particularly saucy categories, one of which asks you what you think about your friends’ one night stand habits — but in general they’re anywhere from 30 minutes to 45 minutes in length, and cover a dozen or so different areas of interest. The process of playing a game is pretty straightforward, after you’ve downloaded and installed the app (iOS or Android) — run the game on PS4, open the app and connect it to your PS4 (a hands-off process), then name your character, choose a representative character card, snap a selfie using your phone’s camera, and you’re off and running.

Rae’s Take:

I’ve been playing Jackbox games for years, so was bracing myself to be kind of underwhelmed by That’s You! I was wrong. I’ll be picking this one up again.

That’s You! is so much fun — each player gets their “time in the spotlight”, and the challenges are hilarious as well as varied. From drawing on players’ selfies to deciding how they’d react in a one night stand situation, gameplay is essentially a blend of the best bits from similar titles — whilst still managing to remain unique. One of the interesting things about That’s You! is how much care and love has gone into the details, though — from the art style through to the music, it’s a stunning game. Far more beauty than you’d expect from what is essentially a party game.

The option to play a more “family friendly” version is a welcome change from the Jackbox series, which is definitely adult skewed. Look, I’m not saying it’s better than Jackbox — but it is new, and it is different — and it is good. Definitely worth giving a go, and it’s free on Playstation Plus this month so, yeah. Not to sound like a shill, but y’all should probably give it a crack.

Cam’s Take:


Here’s another 15 minutes of That’s You, halfway through a game.

The art style of That’s You is going to be one of its biggest selling points. It’s sweet, soft, vaguely retro — it’s just a nice look. The narrator is fun and irreverent, like Jackbox’s but a little more appropriate for a wider audience and age range. A hell of a lot of work has gone into the 3D graphics, which is a surprise — you expect these kinds of party games to be flat and cartoony and that’s it. But That’s You is gorgeous.

And above all else, the games are fun. If you watch the videos above, you’ll see that we’re having a pretty damn good time. The questions are fun, there’s a competitive element to the scoring — but not a huge one, and there’s enough variety in things like photo rounds and drawing rounds and writing rounds that it suits different skill sets and personalities. It’s not the most deep or incredibly nuanced title you can play on the PS4, or even on PlayLink, but that’s what Hidden Agenda is for.

I have one small caveat: PlayLink and That’s You uses your personal smartphone, so you’ll need to make sure your guests have the circa-200MB app installed before you try to start playing. That download size could be a slight hindrance if you’ve got a slow ‘net connection. The game itself is free this month for PlayStation Plus subscribers, or is otherwise $25 on the PlayStation Store. That’s a reasonable price for a game that should get some serious replayability especially with different friend groups, but Jackbox’s Party Packs are around that price on sale and have a little bit more variety.

Disclaimer: Sony wanted us to play That’s You so much that they dropped off a box of fruit and pastries and juice, and kept us company for half an hour, while we played the game.

[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2017/06/playlink-the-party-game-played-on-phones-is-exactly-what-the-ps4-needed/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/playlink1-410×231.jpg” title=”PlayLink, The Party Game Played On Phones, Is Exactly What The PS4 Needed” excerpt=”Every couple of Fridays, we have Jackbox games on the chill-out TV in the middle of our office. Anyone that wants to play brings their phone to tap answers in Quiplash and maybe draw one or two things in Bidiots. It’s simple and fun, for an hour or maybe two. It brings people together. Sony’s PlayLink does exactly that, but with more depth.”]


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