Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming

Everything we know about Netflix Gaming

Jesse Lennox
By

We all used the term “the Netflix of gaming” before. Whether it was in reference to some future utopian service where every game could be streamed flawlessly to any device no matter where we were or in reference to services like Google Stadia, which tried, and ultimately failed, to make that service a reality. Life imitates art, as they say, and now Netflix has launched its own gaming service. As the original king of TV and movie streaming, Netflix is turning its attention toward the gaming crowd with a brand new service.

Netflix has been slowly inching toward gaming. Outside of producing its own shows based on hit gaming franchises, like The Witcher and Castlevania, there were rumblings of the streaming juggernaut tackling games proper for quite a while. As of November, they have finally started to roll out this new service, but gamers and Netflix subscribers alike are both reasonably confused as to what exactly this service is. If you’re a Netflix subscriber or are curious about becoming one and want to know all the details about what Netflix gaming really is, here’s everything we know.

Recommended Videos

Further reading

What is Netflix gaming?

Netflix Gaming promo showing mobile, tablet, and desktop menus.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you haven’t been paying close attention, the announcement of a Netflix gaming service might seem like it came out of nowhere. In reality, however, Netflix has been teasing and ramping up to this service for years. Way back in 2019, the CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, made a statement claiming that Fortnite was a bigger threat to Netflix than HBO. Since 2019, plenty more streaming services have popped up to put even more pressure on the streaming service, so branching out into games appeared to get more focus.

The company published several mobile titles, such as Stranger Things 3: The Game, as well as new IP and even experimented with simple choose-your-own-adventure-style content on Netflix that only required a remote. It took Minecraft: Story Mode and integrated it on the service proper, plus made 14 interactive specials for Netflix, the most popular being 2018’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.

In 2021, Netflix hired Mike Verdue, formerly of Facebook’s Oculus division and Senior Vice President at EA, to be its new Vice President of Game Development. It also made their first proper game studio acquisition. Night School Studio, developer of the cult hit Oxenfree and Afterparty, made sense for the service since its games are mostly narrative and choice-based. Between stand-alone mobile games and interactive experiences on its main service, the direction Netflix would go with gaming was murky at best.

Finally, in November, Netflix finally made its intentions clear. Its new Netflix games service launched, albeit with minimal content and ways to play.

How does Netflix gaming work?

Aman Upadhyay on Unsplash

So, how does Netflix gaming work exactly? First off, this service, at least for now, is included in your normal Netflix subscription. There’s no additional fee, separate subscription, or even adds or microtransactions in any game on the service to date.

The only hurdle you need to overcome in order to start gaming, so long as you have Netflix, of course, is the fact that it is currently only supported on Android devices. If you don’t have either an Android phone or tablet, you won’t be able to take advantage of Netflix gaming. You cannot connect a controller to your TV or play them in any way on PC, either. When you enter the Netflix app on your Android phone or tablet, you will see a row dedicated to games. Once you select a game, you are able to download and play it. Netflix does note that some games will require you to be connected to the internet to play, while others can be played offline anywhere.

It is possible that more devices will be supported in the future, but there’s no official mention of those plans as of now.

What can you play on Netflix gaming?

Two kids in a forest near a broken log.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The launch lineup of games for Netflix gaming is rather small and unimpressive. The service is launching with just five titles, all of which are mobile games. The full library includes:

  • Stranger Things: 1984
  • Stranger Things 3: The Game
  • Shooting Hoops
  • Card Blast
  • Teeter Up

Naturally, this library will grow over time, but Netflix hasn’t announced any kind of cadence for new games coming to the service. It has expressed interest in publishing games based on its IPs, so we can expect more licensed or tie-in games to its original programs at some point. Hopefully, that comes in the form of something other than more Stranger Things games, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
Apple Arcade adds 20 new games today, including 4 originals
A car with legs runs on a track in What The Car?

Apple Arcade is expanding its library of games today with 20 new titles, available now for subscribers. The list includes some brand new titles from popular franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as a selection of "App Store Greats."

Apple's mobile game subscription service has been steadily running since its 2019 launch. In addition to adding new games monthly, Apple has revitalized the service with larger surprises of this scale. In 2021, the service added over 30 games and changed its model to bundle older mobile games into the platform. Today's update isn't quite that big, but it's one of the service's most substantial updates yet.

Read more
Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth: release date speculation, trailers, gameplay, and more
Two hobbits in The Lord of the Rings Heroes of Middle-earth.

Get ready to jump back into the vibrant world of Middle-earth with Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth, the newest game inspired by the fantastic literary work. We've already had dozens of games based on all the books in this series, including The Hobbit, as well as experiences that explore other stories not yet told in those original texts, with the most notable being Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, Shadow of War. However, the mobile space has not had a big hit with this IP as of yet.

Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth looks to change that. This ambitious new free-to-play game wants to bring the high production value, scale, characters, story, and fun gameplay of other titles into the palm of our hands. Like many things in Middle-earth, a lot of information about this upcoming game is still shrouded in darkness. However, after plumbing the books and scrolls of Minas Tirith and consulting our council, we offer you everything we know about Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth.

Read more
Netflix may bring its gaming service to TVs, with iPhones serving as controllers
The Netflix Games section.

Netflix is working on a feature that will bring its games to smart TVs and allow players to use their iPhone as a controller, reports from Bloomberg and MacRumors' Steve Moser said on Wednesday.

The move would take Netflix’s gaming service beyond only smartphones and tablets, giving subscribers more ways to play. And for iPhone owners, it also eliminates the need to buy a dedicated controller, making it more likely that people would give its games a go.

Read more