Netflix Brings Multiplayer Party Games to Your TV — Phone Required as Controller
Netflix has pushed into gaming with as much determination as it did streaming, but until now its efforts mostly meant adapting existing properties and mobile titles such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Too Hot to Handle for phones. That changes with a new slate of games that can be played directly on television screens.
That said, Netflix hasn’t abandoned its mobile-first approach. TV gameplay currently requires a smartphone to act as the controller, and the company is continuing to expand its Android and iOS catalog with larger ports, including the original Red Dead Redemption.
The initial TV line-up emphasizes familiar, social party experiences. Available now on TVs are titles like Boggle Party, Lego Party, Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends, Pictionary: Game Night, and Tetris Time Warp — a mix of Jackbox-style party games and digital takes on classic board games. Upcoming is Dead Man’s Party: A Knives Out Game, Netflix’s social-deduction spin featuring Benoit Blanc from Rian Johnson’s mystery films.
Alain Tascan, Netflix’s president of games, summarized the approach: starting today, subscribers can play on their TVs using a phone as a controller with no complicated setup. He said the company wants players to move seamlessly from watching series like KPop Demon Hunters to launching a round of Pictionary: Game Night, and that Netflix will also continue to bring new, distinct experiences to mobile devices.
On the mobile front, Netflix announced additional family-friendly and casual titles coming to its service, including Lego Duplo World, Barbie Color Creations, Paw Patrol Academy, and Toca Boca Hair Salon 4. The company also confirmed releases such as WWE 2K25: Netflix Edition and the aforementioned Red Dead Redemption.
Netflix is also entering the daily-puzzle space with Netflix Puzzled, which will offer a variety of puzzles inspired by Netflix IP — from Stranger Things and Squid Game to Bridgerton and Emily in Paris. The collection will include crosswords, sudoku, word searches and more, playable on Android and iOS devices and featured on the Tudum blog.
Additionally, Netflix is testing a live, weekday game show called Best Guess Live, which awards cash prizes. Hosted by Hunter March with appearances from Howie Mandel, the real-time quiz presents a series of clues and short answer windows for contestants — a format reminiscent of former mobile trivia hits like HQ Trivia.
Much of Netflix Games’ new roster is rolling out now. Netflix Puzzled and Best Guess Live are marked as coming soon, with the live show initially available only in the U.S.
Source: Polygon
