Netflix has no plans to slow down its gaming ambitions any time soon, as it wants to make sure it has at least one game that each of its more than 230 million subscribers can enjoy. The company’s library of mobile games now has 55 titles following the recent additions of and the spellbindingly dystopian . There’s much more to come in 2023, as Netflix plans to add around 40 more games throughout the year.
The company has revealed a few of those titles, including reverse city-builder (March 28th) and , which will see you folding parts of the world to solve puzzles. Netflix has also struck a deal with Ubisoft for three exclusive games. The second of those, following , will arrive on April 18th in the form of . It’s a roguelite set in the same universe as It’s said to have an improved formula, a more in-depth story and souped-up gameplay.
Also on the way later this year is a follow-up to one of Netflix’s most-played games to date, which is based on the hit reality show, . Netflix says weekly content drops have kept players coming back and it’s working with developer Nanobit on the follow-up.
Looking further ahead, the Monument Valley series is coming to Netflix Games. and will be available to Netflix subscribers at no extra cost in 2024.
Versions of the classic mobile puzzle titles are currently available on Apple Arcade. A Netflix spokesperson told Engadget that the games should remain on other services after next year. Meanwhile, developer Ustwo (which is behind last year’s ,
also available onNetflix
) has hinted that another Monument Valley game is on the way as part of its Netflix deal.
Also in the pipeline is a game based on an unannounced upcoming Netflix IP. developer Super Evil Megacorp is working on the exclusive title, which it says will build on the studio’s expertise in team-based combat. You can expect to learn more about this project later this year. Netflix vice-president of external games Leanne Loombe recently told reporters that this game is part of a “big bet” and a “transmedia play” for the company.
All told, Netflix has 70 games in development with its partners and 16 in the works at its internal studios. Most of the games Netflix’s own teams are making are still in the very early stages, though Night School Studio’s is slated to arrive later this year. Netflix is promising to release new games every month for the rest of 2023, including “indie darlings, award-winning hits, RPGs, narrative adventures [and] puzzle games.”
Loombe said that since Netflix started offering games in 2021, it has found that players are largely drawn to three types of experiences: recognizable titles from elsewhere, such as and ; ones that encourage daily play, including and ; and games based on its own shows and movies, like .
Given Netflix’s designs on becoming a world-class game publisher, I hope it doesn’t focus on those areas exclusively. In any case, it’s off to a strong start. For instance, a vertical platformer that doesn’t fall neatly into any of those three categories, was my favorite game of 2022.
Netflix has said it’s looking into cloud gaming, so you may eventually get to play its library on computers, smart TVs and even consoles. But its focus is primarily on mobile. Making sure more people are aware they can play some great games as part of their subscription will be key to Netflix Games’ growth plan too.