Netflix has launched a modern version of the classic game Minesweeper, featuring colorful aquatic backgrounds, and new modes. The game is available on Android and iOS with no in-app purchases or ads.
Netflix has ventured into video game publishing, aiming to become a major player in the industry.
In 2023, Netflix Games launched, offering a growing library of mobile games for free with a Netflix subscription. Netflix Games downloads showed 180% annual growth in 2023, with 81 million downloads across app stores, indicating a growing interest in their gaming offerings.
To access Netflix games on your phone, users need to open the Netflix mobile app, log in, navigate to the Mobile Games section, select a game, and click the "Get Game" button to download it from the app store.
The company has built a diverse library of games, including popular titles, indie gems, tie-ins with shows like Nailed It! Baking Bash and interactive story games like Love is Blind. In Paper Trail, a puzzle game with a unique art style and heartfelt story, you adopt, dress up cats, and make soup in a cozy setting.
Netflix serves as a publisher, offering production support and resources to developers focusing on narrative-driven games without in-app purchases.
The synergy between TV shows and video games can boost popularity, with Netflix's "The Witcher" leading the trend by increasing game sales significantly. Wonderstorm, a studio working with Netflix, aims to create transmedia experiences with its TV series and companion video game releases, involving simultaneous development and leveraging shared resources and talent.
Netflix continues to refine its algorithm to offer games to subscribers across various platforms, focusing on mobile first before expanding to other devices.
Other companies like The New York Times, LinkedIn, Apple Arcade, and Microsoft are also entering the mobile and casual games market.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: The Verge, Engadget, The Washington Post, Escapist Magazine.