Netflix is taking its gaming ambitions further, moving from mobile apps to TV screens with new multiplayer and party games. The streaming giant showcased the offerings Wednesday at its Hollywood office, including classics like Pictionary and Tetris, as well as the upcoming weekday competition game Best Guess Live.
Alain Tascan, head of Netflix’s gaming business, explained the goal is to make games as accessible as Netflix shows. “Play it on your TV, control it on your phone,” Tascan said, highlighting the platform’s mobile controller app. Netflix is not aiming to compete with consoles but to create a “completely new way to play games.”
The new party games, available starting Thursday, include LEGO Party, Party Crashers, Boggle Party, Pictionary, and Tetris Time Warp. Netflix is also leveraging its popular IPs with games based on Peppa Pig, The Queen’s Gambit, and Love Is Blind. Major third-party titles, including Civilization VI, are also featured.
Experts note Netflix’s advantage lies in scale and existing intellectual property. Dmitri Williams, USC professor, said Netflix can take multiplayer ideas like the Jackbox Party Pack and make them accessible to a mass audience. Upcoming releases include Red Dead Redemption for mobile and Netflix’s own puzzle hub, Netflix Puzzled, featuring sudoku, crosswords, and word games inspired by Netflix shows.
Netflix first experimented with interactive content in 2017 with the Stranger Things mobile game and 2018’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Tascan emphasized the company’s commitment to innovation, saying, “This is just the beginning.”
