Netflix is deepening its push into gaming with a new slate of interactive titles built directly into its TV platform, marking the company’s most ambitious effort yet to blend watching, playing and social connection inside a single service. The update allows subscribers to play games on their televisions using their phones as controllers, a shift Netflix says reflects its goal of making gaming “as natural and accessible as pressing play on a movie,” according to Alain Tascan, VP of Netflix Games.
The rollout represents the first time Netflix’s games are native to its TV app rather than existing separately as mobile downloads. At a demonstration held at its Hollywood headquarters, guests tested a mix of new and classic party games, including Pictionary, Boggle Party, Tetris Time Warp, Party Crashers and Lego Party. Netflix also previewed upcoming releases such as Netflix Puzzled, a daily puzzle hub featuring sudoku, crosswords and word searches themed around Netflix series.
To play, viewers open a game on Netflix, scan a QR code and use the company’s mobile controller app to participate. The system supports multiplayer sessions without requiring consoles or other hardware. Netflix executives stressed that the initiative is not designed to compete directly with traditional gaming consoles but to build a category tailored to the social habits of its subscriber base.
Co-CEO Greg Peters, speaking at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference in Los Angeles last month, said Netflix’s earlier gaming efforts amounted to a “B-minus” performance but described the new approach as a shift toward shared, interactive entertainment. Tascan, who previously worked at Epic Games, said Netflix’s recent projects reflect a long-term commitment to experimentation.
Part of Netflix’s strategy involves using its existing intellectual property to drive interest. The TV gaming library includes Peppa Pig: Play with Peppa for younger viewers, The Queen’s Gambit Chess for strategy players and an interactive relationship story inspired by Love Is Blind. The company also said it will offer major third-party titles, including Civilization VI and a mobile edition of Red Dead Redemption, which will include the Undead Nightmare expansion.
Netflix’s evolution toward interactive entertainment began with early tie-in games linked to Stranger Things and expanded with Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, the 2018 interactive film that allowed viewers to make real-time choices. Dmitri Williams, a professor at the University of Southern California who studies online communities, said Netflix is building on an established template but with a scale that could push the category into millions of homes. He noted that Netflix’s brand, subscriber reach and control over its own content give it advantages that earlier cloud-gaming platforms lacked.
Netflix executives said the company views its mix of storytelling and gameplay as a distinctive position in the market. They said the long-term vision includes using Netflix’s reality and scripted franchises to build new forms of social play around familiar worlds.
Featured image credits: Freepik
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