Yes, Netflix has some excellent games, but no one plays them. According to a recent reportHowever, less than 1 percent of people who subscribe to the streaming service actually take advantage of its free games. This statistic is certainly not aided by the process you have to go through to play, which, while not entirely Byzantine, is more complex than it has to be.
Read more: Netflix has some great games but nobody plays them
Netflix has indicated its entry into games early last year, when the process of seeking talent from executives in the gaming industry began. By November, the streaming company had added five games to its mobile app Initial performances were disappointing, at least. (Who really needs more games calling based on Weird things?)
Now, the library – which can be played at no additional cost to subscribers – contains some real diamonds, like a tactical game in the breachPhysics curriculum Poinbeeroguelike lite moon lightand the narrative story before your eyes.
How do you play games on Netflix?
At the moment, you cannot play Netflix games on a smart TV or, ironically, the Netflix game console app. You will need either an Android device (updated to at least Android 8.0) or an Apple mobile device (running iOS 15 or later). From there, follow these steps:
- Open the Netflix app, then scroll down until you see the row of games. There is no separate tab that groups all the games together.
- Click on the game you want to play. This will take you to your device’s storefront — the App Store for Apple phones and tablets, and Google Play for Android — at which point you’ll be prompted to download the game to your phone. It will appear as an unrelated app, although you will see the Netflix logo in the top left corner of its icon.
- When you launch the game, it will ask you which Netflix account you are using. (Once you’re signed into one game, it looks like it keeps you signed in for other games too.)
Sure, it would be great… to play these games inside the Netflix app — you know, the same way you’d watch any of the service’s movies or TV shows. However, the process is not terrible. This morning I tried in the breach, which recently received an expansion so great that it might also be a sequel, and I found it as enjoyable on the phone as it is anywhere else. I also messed with Poinbee And I had to pull myself away after the tutorial or else it would have legitimately derailed my day. Oh man, what an instantly compelling little game…
However, there are some quirks: I couldn’t get any game sound to play unless I plugged in headphones. (The world’s subway riders should rejoice to know that the flurry of free games from Netflix won’t contribute to the paradoxical noise pollution that’s already plaguing America’s transportation systems.) And the service isn’t at scale to compete with some of the biggest mobile-subscription-game services, such as Xbox Game Pass or Apple Arcade. But as a way to get a bunch of easy-to-access games, I liked it.
What games does Netflix have?
Currently, Netflix supports files Next Gamesdespite notes that not all games are available on all devices:
- Arkanium: The Rise of the Khan
- Xtreme Asphalt
- before your eyes
- bowling ball
- card blast
- Domino’s Cafe
- dwarves dwarves
- Dragon
- cats explode
- Hextech Mayhem: The League of Legends Story
- in the breach
- Into the Dead 2: Unleashed
- Knittens
- Crispy Street
- Mahjong Solitaire
- moon light
- Poinbee
- Archeology Hunters: The Rebels
- smash remastered
- Do you have any other information about this event?
- Stranger Things: 1984
- Stranger Things 3: The Game
- oscillate (up)
- This is a true story
- Townsmen – Rebuilt Kingdom
- Wonderputt forever
Netflix plans to raise this number to 50 before April next year, for every Washington PostReports. This number will eventually include in-house developed games as well. last year, Acquired Night SchoolThe studio behind Hit Adventure Oxenfri. (Night School offered the sequel, Oxenfree II: The Lost Signalsat this year’s Tribeca Festival.)
It’s unclear if there are any plans to make the games available locally within the primary Netflix app, or turn the game library into a complementary app. When I got to comment, a The face of a Netflix spokesperson Kotaku to me Company blog post Posted last November.
“We launched games on our service less than a year ago,” The spokesperson said. “It’s still early days and we know we have a lot of work to do to deliver a great Netflix gaming experience on mobile devices.”