40 additional games are planned for later this year, said Netflix. All games are currently limited to mobile devices but Netflix confirmed plans to bring games to TVs, PCs and other devices.
The first games arrived on Netflix in late 2021 with no ads or in-app purchases. The games are included with a Netflix subscription. The company this week provided a status update on its long-term plan to expand into gaming.
- "It’s been a little more than a year since we launched games on Netflix to bring even more entertainment to our members as part of their Netflix subscription. In this short time, we’ve released 55 games, with about 40 more slated for later this year and 70 in development with our partners. That’s in addition to the 16 games currently being developed by our in-house game studios. Our goal is to develop a broad portfolio of games — in different genres and formats — because we believe everyone can find joy in games if they discover the one (or many!) that is right for them," said Leanne Loombe, Vice President of External Games at Netflix.
Netflix recently partnered with Ubisoft for Valiant Hearts: Coming Home and on April 18 Ubisoft will release Mighty Quest: Rogue Palace on Netflix. City-builder Terra Nil will arrive on March 28, and Monument Valley and Monument Valley 2 will arrive in 2024.
Netflix and cloud gaming
At this time, Netflix games are compatible only with iOS and Android mobile devices, but Netflix confirmed that it has plans to bring games to TVs, PCs, media players and all other devices with a Netflix app.
When and how? Netflix declined to comment on the timing but said that it is exploring cloud gaming, or game streaming, to enable it.
Also read: Netflix's gaming push likely to cause tension with platform holders
As you may remember, Google recently pulled the plug on its game streaming service Stadia. However, Netflix's foundation of downloadable games based on the ARM processor architecture is very different from Google's approach with Stadia, and Netflix said that its approach to cloud gaming will be to take it slow, learn, and adapt.
- "We are very early in that side of our journey, but we are very committed to making sure that games can be played wherever you have Netflix," Leanne Loombe told Digital Trends. "We do believe that cloud gaming will enable us to provide that easy access to games on any screen, be frictionless, and provide that accessibility into gaming experiences. But we do want to be super thoughtful about how we build that and how we bring it to our members, … just like we’re doing for mobile games, we will take it slow."
It is not clear if any of the 125 games planned or currently in development are compatible with TVs. Some games on Netflix already support game controllers.
Highlighted games
Netflix highlighted these games as part of its announcement:
In January, we debuted Valiant Hearts: Coming Home, the first of three exclusive games from Ubisoft coming to Netflix. Next up from Ubisoft on April 18 is Mighty Quest: Rogue Palace, a rogue-lite game set in the wacky universe some may remember from The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot. Featuring an improved formula, deepened narrative and upgraded frantic action gameplay, it’s easy to jump into and endlessly replayable.
It's the end of the world. The ultra-rich might be headed to Mars. Explore a flooded planet, discover islands and find allies — can you escape in time? Amid a great climate catastrophe, the flooded region of Hightower has become a kind of safe zone between the two dry regions: the nearly entirely ravaged land of the War Zone and the fortified city of Alphaville, where the obscenely wealthy live behind giant walls. Rumors that the rich are escaping to Mars abound. Travel to an underwater world by boat as a humble survivor — pick up friends, battle insurgents and steal food — all while fighting to find out if the rumors are true. Can you make it onto the rocket in this atmospheric, story-driven adventure? Available exclusively on Netflix.
In this tranquil, reverse city-builder, you’ll transform a lifeless landscape into a thriving, vibrant ecosystem. Plant sprawling forests, purify soil and clean polluted oceans to turn a ravaged environment into an ecological paradise. Turn dead soil into fertile grassland and the ideal habitat for animals to call home. Then recycle your buildings and leave no trace that you were there. Featuring procedurally generated landscapes, no two play-throughs of Terra Nil will ever be the same. Plan your build around randomized, challenging and unpredictable terrain, including snaking rivers, mountains, lowlands and oceans. Experience tranquility in lush, hand-painted environments with relaxing music and an atmospheric ambient soundscape that makes this game a peaceful, meditative experience. When you're done, use Appreciate mode to bask in the natural beauty of the ecosystem you have restored. Available exclusively for mobile on Netflix.
