The big game coming to Netflix this summer is… chess. But not just any chess: on July 25th, subscribers can download a new mobile title called The Queen’s Gambit Chess based on the streaming series of the same name. It sounds like the experience will combine story and character elements from the show with teaching players the ins and outs of the classic board game.
All the news about Netflix’s gaming efforts
June 26, 2023
All the news about Netflix’s gaming efforts
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Apr 26
Netflix is getting a beautiful new wingsuit game on May 2nd
Tears of the Kingdom isn’t the only upcoming game about soaring through the skies. Today, developer Snowman, the studio behind the Alto series, properly unveiled its next release: Laya’s Horizon, which was first teased last month. The debut trailer shows off a beautiful world where players soar through forests, mountains, and towns utilizing something like wingsuit flying. It seems like a natural evolution of the Alto games, switching the 2D snow (and sand) boarding gameplay for three-dimensional flying.
Laya’s Horizon is also notable as it’s coming to Netflix, where it will be free to subscribers on both iOS and Android. It’ll be Snowman’s second release on the service following the jump-free platformer Lucky Luna. The streaming service has made a slow and steady push into mobile gaming and is looking to expand to other platforms in the future as well.
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Apr 19
The Shovel Knight puzzle game is coming to mobile.Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon is joining Netflix’s mobile games lineup. Developer Yacht Club Games hasn’t said exactly when, but I’ve wanted an excuse to check this game out since reading Kotaku’s review, so I’ll almost certainly give it a whirl.
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Apr 18
Netflix’s next mobile game is here.Ubisoft’s Mighty Quest Rogue Palace, a new action roguelike, is launching today. Check out the game’s launch trailer below — it looks like it could be a lot of fun.
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Apr 17
Joseph Staten, who helped get Halo Infinite over the finish line, is joining Netflix
Image: 343 Industries / Xbox Game StudiosJoseph Staten, Halo Infinite’s former head of creative who just announced he was leaving Microsoft, will be the creative director for a new AAA game from Netflix, Staten announced on Monday.
“In my work life, there’s nothing I love more than collaborating with others to build worlds filled with iconic characters, deep mysteries, and endless adventures,” Staten wrote in a short Twitter thread on Monday. He didn’t share many specific details about the new game, but he says it will be a “brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP.”
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Mar 30
Netflix might let you use an iPhone to control games on your TV
Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeNetflix is working on a feature that would let you use your iPhone to control games on your TV, according a new report from Bloomberg and code shared by MacRumors contributing writer Steve Moser. Netflix recently said that it wants to make its games “playable on every Netflix device that you have,” and being able to use your iPhone to play TV games could be one way to help with that mission.
According to Moser, the iOS app apparently contains code that says: “A game on your TV needs a controller to play. Do you want to use this phone as a game controller?”
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Mar 20
Netflix wants to make its games ‘playable on every Netflix device that you have’
Illustration: Alex Castro / The VergeNetflix is still working on its cloud gaming service, which could make its burgeoning games lineup easier to play and available across more devices. The company’s VP of games, Mike Verdu, announced in October that Netflix was “seriously exploring” a cloud gaming service, and work on the project is “underway,” Leanne Loombe, Netflix’s VP of external games, said in a briefing with reporters.
“We are very early in that side of our journey,” Loombe said. “We do believe that cloud gaming will enable us to provide that easy access to games on any screen and be frictionless and provide the accessibility into gaming experiences.” She cautioned that Netflix is being “super thoughtful” about how it builds the service, perhaps to avoid a Google Stadia-level disaster.
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Mar 20
Netflix is adding Monument Valley next year as part of its continued gaming push
Monument Valley coming to Netflix in 2024. Image: NetflixIn 2024, Netflix will be adding two of the most revered mobile titles of all time to its fledgling gaming service. The company announced that both Monument Valley and its sequel will be available to Netflix subscribers starting in 2024.
It’s a big get, as both games were huge mobile hits on release and are currently available as part of Apple’s Arcade subscription service as well. (It’s not clear yet if the games will be available on both subscriptions simultaneously next year.)
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Feb 14
The new Tomb Raider mobile roguelike is out now.Tomb Raider Reloaded, which was first revealed just a couple weeks ago, is out now. I beat the first level on iOS, and I enjoyed it more than I suspected, but my interest waned after I saw the complicated smorgasbord of leveling and equipment options in the main menu.
You can download it now on iOS and Android, and if you’re a Netflix subscriber, you can play versions for iOS and Android with no ads or in-app purchases.
Update February 14th, 2:13PM ET: Added links separating Netflix and non-Netflix versions.
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Feb 6
Two new indie games are coming to Netflix.Dust & Neon, a western-themed roguelike shooter, will be joining Netflix’s lineup of mobile games on February 16th, while Highwater, a post-apocalyptic turn-based strategy adventure game, will be added “soon,” according to a blog post from publisher Rogue Games. You can learn more about Dust & Neon, which is also coming to Switch and PC, in the video below.
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Jan 10
Netflix adds TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge to its mobile games lineup
Turtle power! Image: NetflixNetflix is bringing some turtle power to its suite of mobile games by adding Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, a modern take on the classic TMNT arcade games. Shredder’s Revenge was first released for PC and consoles in 2022, but now, you can play it on iOS or Android if you have a Netflix subscription.
Shredder’s Revenge does a lot to capture the spirit of the old-school beat ‘em up games: it has beautiful pixel art, side-scrolling levels, and lets up to six people play at the same time. But the game is also designed to be welcoming to people who may not have grown up with the original TMNT arcade games, which might make it easier for new players to jump in. If you want to learn more, you can read Andrew Webster’s interview with designer Frederic Gemus, who spoke about the design philosophy behind Shredder’s Revenge.
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Dec 13, 2022
Kentucky Route Zero joins Netflix’s mobile games lineup
The esoteric indie title Kentucky Route Zero will be available Tuesday on iOS and Android as part of Netflix’s suite of mobile games. The narrative-focused game seems like one that will lend itself well to a mobile format, and after a more than six-month wait since publisher Annapurna Interactive said Kentucky Route Zero would be coming to phones, you can now get lost in its weird world from the smartphone in your pocket.
Kentucky Route Zero, from developer Cardboard Computer, is difficult to describe. It’s not so much a game as a magical realism story that you experience in an interactive form. I played it for the first time when the game’s final episode released after years of development, and I’ve never tried anything like it before or since. My colleague Andrew Webster sums it all up well, and if it helps, this trailer of the “TV edition” for consoles gives you some idea of what you’re in for.
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Nov 30, 2022
Netflix’s latest batch of mobile games includes Cats & Soup and a new Reigns
Netflix has once again quietly added some games to its mobile app — and there’s some cool stuff to dig into in this batch.
Headlining the update is Reigns: Three Kingdoms, the latest entry in the card-swiping strategy series. This iteration is inspired by the 14th-century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and according to publisher Devolver Digital, it “thrusts players into the turbulent final years of the Han dynasty. There, they will encounter the many factions, wars, and heroes of the saga as they swipe their way through negotiations, marry to strengthen alliances, and convert to gain more power.”
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Nov 23, 2022
Netflix is hiring for a ‘brand-new AAA PC game’
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The VergeNetflix wants to make more than just mobile games. As spotted by Mobilegamer.biz, the company recently put up job listings for a game director, art director, and technical director at its newly announced Los Angeles games studio, alongside roles like producer and engineer, for a project described as “a brand-new AAA PC game.” Since it’s an unannounced project, there aren’t many details beyond that. But in the listing for game director, Netflix says that it’s looking for a “creative leader of one of Netflix’s first generation of internally developed original games.”
Netflix’s desire to expand into games isn’t new, but the company’s efforts have thus far been largely focused on the mobile space. Games were added to the Netflix mobile app last November, and since then, the company has released notable titles like Lucky Luna, Into the Breach, and Desta: The Memories Between, with dozens more in development. Netflix has also acquired developers like Boss Fight Entertainment and Night School Studio to bolster its efforts. (That said, it seems most subscribers still haven’t dabbled in the gaming additions.)
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Nov 15, 2022
Sam Barlow’s Immortality is now available on iOS and Android via Netflix.The creepy found-footage game was set to launch at the same time as the Xbox Series X / S and PC versions earlier this year but was pushed at the last minute. I played it on Xbox, and it wasn’t quite like anything else I’ve experienced before. If you’re intrigued, check out this trailer, but don’t look up anything else — there are a lot of surprises that are best left unspoiled.
IMMORTALITY[App Store]
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Oct 19, 2022
Can Netflix reclaim the ‘Netflix for games’ crown from Xbox Game Pass?
Netflix has signaled that it has bold ambitions beyond mobile gaming. Image: NetflixNetflix wants to try where Google Stadia failed.
Just a few weeks ago, Google publicly retreated from cloud gaming with the surprise announcement that it would be shutting down Stadia. By throwing in the towel, it seemed like Microsoft, which has made cloud gaming a perk but not its primary focus for Xbox, has the best chance at popular adoption, as it’s probably the closest thing to a “Netflix for video games” that we have so far. Amazon’s Luna doesn’t seem to be a big hit, and most people don’t seem aware of Nvidia’s GeForce Now.
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Oct 18, 2022
Netflix is ‘seriously exploring’ a cloud gaming service
Stadia might be exiting cloud gaming, but Netflix might be jumping in. Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeNetflix is seriously considering its own cloud gaming platform, the company’s VP of games Mike Verdu said at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference on Tuesday (via Protocol). Netflix jumped into gaming in a big way last year with its mobile games lineup, but the company is apparently looking to use its overall expertise in streaming data to let people play games over the cloud.
“We’re very seriously exploring a cloud gaming offering so that we can reach members on TVs and on PCs,” Verdu said. “We’re going to approach this the same way we did with mobile, which is start small, be humble, be thoughtful, and then build out. But it is a step we think we should take to meet members where they are on the devices where they consume Netflix.”
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Oct 18, 2022
Netflix has 55 more games in development
Netflix’s games library is only going to get bigger. Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeNetflix currently has 55 games in development, including additional games based on Netflix franchises, the company said in its investor letter released Tuesday (PDF). The company only really got serious about gaming with the initial release of its Android and iOS lineup late last year, but the commitment to even more games signals Netflix has been pleased with the launch so far.
Part of Netflix’s strategy is that subscribers will view its games as another reason to stick around, “and we’re seeing some encouraging signs of gameplay leading to higher retention,” the company wrote in the letter. Netflix said that gaming is a “multi-year journey,” indicating it will continue to invest in it for the long haul — which it might need to, as recent data indicated that less than 1 percent of subscribers interact with Netflix’s games on a daily basis. Interestingly, Netflix doesn’t say if the games are in development are specifically for mobile, which could suggest the company will release new titles that aren’t restricted to phones.
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Sep 27, 2022
Go get your Netflix gamertag
You can set up your username right from the games tab in the Android app. Image: NetflixNetflix is officially introducing gamertag-style handles subscribers can use in its mobile games. The company first began rolling out handles that will be shown in multiplayer games and on online leaderboards in some games last month, but in a blog post published Tuesday, Netflix said that users can now set them up on both iOS and Android devices.
The process of actually making your handle differs depending on which operating system you use. On Android, in the games tab in Netflix’s navigation bar, you can tap the banner that says “Create your Netflix game handle” to get started. The iOS version of the Netflix app doesn’t have a dedicated games tab, so you’ll need to download a game like Rival Pirates or Lucky Luna and follow the in-app prompts.
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Aug 8, 2022
99 percent of Netflix subscribers haven’t tried its games yet
Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeAs Netflix continues to build out its portfolio of games, the streamer’s seeing less than 1 percent of its subscribers interact with them on a daily basis. According to data obtained by CNBC from app tracking group Apptopia, Netflix’s games average 1.7 million users per day, a sliver of Netflix’s 221 million subscribers globally.
Apptopia found that Netflix’s games have been downloaded a total of 23.3 million times since Netflix announced a push into mobile gaming in November 2021. The streamer started with just five games, a collection that it has since expanded to over two dozen titles, including a game based on the Exploding Kittens card game, the League of Legends spinoff Hextech Mayhem, and the strategy title Into the Breach. Netflix also plans on adding a game based on its original series The Queen’s Gambit.
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Jun 23, 2022
Acclaimed strategy game Into the Breach comes to mobile via Netflix
The beloved indie game is headed to Netflix. Image: Subset GamesInto the Breach, the sci-fi turn-based strategy game from the makers of FTL: Faster Than Light, will be available on iOS and Android as part of a Netflix subscription beginning July 19th, developer Subset Games announced Thursday.
Since late last year, Netflix has offered a selection of mobile games that subscribers can play for free. The company has been steadily adding titles in the months since launch, and although much of what’s available is generic-looking casual fare, Netflix seems committed to adding more notable games like Into the Breach. Earlier this month at its Geeked Week event, for example, Netflix revealed that a bunch of indie titles, including Spiritfarer and a new entry in the Reigns series, would be added to its mobile offerings.
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May 24, 2022
Netflix’s Exploding Kittens mobile game launches at the end of May
Play the new game beginning May 31st. Image: NetflixNetflix’s Exploding Kittens — The Game, a new mobile title based on the popular card game, will be available for free for Netflix subscribers on May 31st, the company announced Tuesday. The new game will be a different version than the one that’s already available on the App Store and Google Play, and at launch, it will have two exclusive cards. Down the line, Netflix plans to add cards based on the upcoming animated series that will be hitting the service in 2023.
Netflix also revealed three additional mobile games that will all be available on Tuesday as part of the service’s growing library of mobile titles: Moonlighter, Townsmen — A Kingdom Rebuilt, and Dragon Up. Once all four of the titles are released, Netflix will count 22 games as part of its catalog.
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May 3, 2022
Netflix just added a sci-fi RPG called Relic Hunters: Rebels
Netflix is continuing to add to its steadily growing lineup of mobile games with the launch of Relic Hunters: Rebels today. The game, developed by Brazilian developer Rogue Snail, is the latest in the Relic Hunters series of colorful shooters and the first for mobile. The sci-fi RPG has a heavy emphasis on gunplay with a total of 44 different weapons to experiment with, and the studio says it was designed in part to run well on older phones. As with all other Netflix mobile games, Rebels is available for free to subscribers through Netflix’s mobile apps.
Netflix’s foray into gaming kicked off properly late last year, and, since then, the company has added a number of new titles — including its first FPS and a League of Legends spinoff — while also acquiring developers like Boss Fight Entertainment, Next Games, and Night School Studio. The streaming service also launched a daily interactive trivia series and announced plans for both a TV series and mobile game based on the card game Exploding Kittens.
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Apr 18, 2022
Netflix and Exploding Kittens are partnering on a mobile game and an animated series
The game will be included with a Netflix subscription. Image: NetflixNetflix is expanding its work in gaming by partnering with the makers of the silly card game Exploding Kittens on a mobile title and a TV series based on the popular franchise. Exploding Kittens — The Game, described as “an exclusive version of the beloved mobile game,” will launch in May, while the TV show, “an adult animated comedy series,” will launch in 2023. The new game will be the latest in an ever-growing series of mobile titles available to play for free with a Netflix subscription.
There’s already a version of Exploding Kittens available on the App Store and Google Play, but with Netflix’s version, there will be two exclusive cards at launch. Down the line, there will be new cards and game mechanics “themed around the animated series.” The version of Exploding Kittens that’s currently available (which is a paid game) will remain on the app stores after the new version launches, Netflix spokesperson Tawni Argent tells The Verge. Unfortunately, any progress, expansion packs, or saves you might have from the current mobile versions won’t transfer to Netflix’s game, as they are two separate titles.
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Mar 24, 2022
Netflix bought yet another studio as part of gaming push
Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeNetflix has added another game developer to its ranks. The company announced that it has acquired Boss Fight Entertainment, a mobile studio based in Texas. It’s the third game studio that Netflix has scooped up following Oxenfree developer Night School and Next Games, the team behind a Stranger Things puzzle game. Past games from Boss Fight include a mobile strategy game called Dungeon Boss; the studio was founded following the closure of Zynga’s Dallas studio, which developed the Facebook game CastleVille.
The news comes as Netflix is making a major push into the gaming space. In addition to acquiring established studios, Netflix has also made mobile games a part of its subscription package — just this week saw the announcement of three new games on the platform — while also experimenting with interactive series, including an upcoming daily trivia game called Trivia Quest.
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