Netflix is making video games available for play on televisions for the first time, introducing party games that subscribers can control using their mobile phones.
Co-Chief Executive Officer Greg Peters announced the expansion at the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, reports Bloomberg. The streaming service is offering games including Boggle Party, Pictionary: Game Night, Tetris Time Warp, Lego Party and Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends.
Netflix has been offering games for four years as part of a plan to extend its reach beyond films and television shows. Until now, users had to play those games on mobile devices. Subscribers will use their phones as controllers whilst the gameplay appears on the television screen.
Alain Tascan, the head of Netflix’s gaming business, said film and television companies have tried to enter the gaming space without success.
“They took a short-term approach,” Tascan said.
Tascan joined Netflix in July 2024 from Epic Games, the publisher of Fortnite, to help reboot the company’s strategy. Netflix initially thought that offering games for free on mobile phones would attract many users, but the company is not a destination for video games and many enthusiasts already play elsewhere.
Management has identified four categories to prioritise: games for kids, games for parties, mainstream hits such as Grand Theft Auto and games based on existing Netflix properties including Stranger Things.
All games in the first offering are free. Lego Party normally retails for about $40. To play, users must have a smart television or use streaming devices such as those from Roku. Players scan a QR code to turn their phone into a controller.
“To entertain the world, we must include games,” Tascan said. “A lot of companies have a lot of users, but not that many have all these people on the main entertainment screen at home, the TV.”
Netflix announced the games will be available this holiday season through a games tab on televisions. Boggle Party supports up to eight players.
