You already know Netflix as a platform where you watch your favourite shows, movies and some exclusive Netflix content. But now Netflix wants to do more than just entertain you through screens. It wants to give you games to play with your fingers, not just stories to watch with your eyes. Netflix is stepping into the gaming world slowly but with clear plans. In this post, you will get to know how Netflix started its gaming journey, what it is doing right now, and what it wants to do in future. This is not just a new feature inside the app. This is Netflix trying to become your next game provider without asking for extra money.
Netflix officially entered gaming in November 2021. It started by adding mobile games for Android and iOS users. These games were free for anyone who had an active Netflix subscription. Some of the first games included Stranger Things: 1984, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Shooting Hoops, and Card Blast.
Netflix did not put these games inside its app directly at that time. You had to download them from Google Play Store or Apple App Store. But when you logged in using your Netflix account, the games unlocked without asking for extra payment. This was Netflix’s way of saying, “You already paid, so enjoy this too.”
To make gaming a serious part of its business, Netflix did not just rely on third-party developers. It started buying game studios. Here are some important ones:
Netflix also opened its own studios:
This showed Netflix wanted to build in-house expertise, not just depend on others.
Netflix did not want to make just one kind of game. It planned four types of games to keep different users happy. These were:
These games are like interactive stories. You don’t just watch, you choose. Think of them like playable versions of Netflix Originals. Example: Oxenfree II (by Night School Studio).
Fun games to play with friends or family. These games are not very heavy. You can play them in groups during free time.
This includes titles based on animated shows and safe content that young users already watch. This helps parents trust the games.
These games are more polished, similar to what you see on Xbox or PlayStation, but made for mobile or Netflix’s app.
This strategy was explained by Alain Tascan, Netflix’s Vice President of Game Studios. He said this mix will help Netflix serve casual and serious gamers both.
Netflix started testing games directly inside the TV app in 2023. It also added a feature where you can use your smartphone as a game controller when playing games on TV.
This means if you sit on the sofa, open Netflix on your smart TV, and start a game, you don’t need a gamepad. You can use your phone to control the game. This is one way Netflix is removing barriers and making games easier to access.
Soon, Netflix wants its app to become a place where you can stream shows and also play games without installing anything extra.
In 2024, Netflix quietly created a team called GenAI for Games. This team’s work is to use artificial intelligence in game-making. AI can help with quick content creation, smarter NPCs (non-playable characters), and faster game testing.
By using generative AI, Netflix wants to:
This shows Netflix is not just copying other gaming companies. It is trying to build smart tools to do things faster and better. Netflix could even use AI to suggest games based on genres you frequently explore through Netflix codes.
Even with 240 million+ Netflix users globally, only around 1% were playing games daily (as per 2024 reports). This is a big gap.
Some reasons behind this are:
Also, Netflix is entering a gaming world where big names like Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and mobile giants already rule. Competing here is not easy.
Netflix is not in a hurry to make profits from games. It sees gaming as part of its future.
Here is why this move can still work well:
As more users explore gaming through Netflix, it might become a habit. Just like people shifted from TV to streaming slowly, Netflix is hoping users will move from watching to playing.
You have seen Netflix as your weekend binge partner. But now Netflix wants to be your daily gaming companion too. It is spending money, building its own teams, using AI, and testing new features quietly. The journey is not easy. Not all games are hits. Not all users are playing. But Netflix is trying step by step. It is not treating games as an extra feature, but as part of its core plan.
You may not see it now, but Netflix is building the base. And in a few years, you might just open the app not to watch something, but to play your next favourite game
