Netflix launches a new collection of party games for the living room, using smartphones as controllers to enhance user engagement.
The initial slate includes five titles, such as LEGO Party! and Pictionary: Game Night, available ahead of the holiday season.
This move positions Netflix against tech giants like Amazon and Apple in the home gaming market.
Netflix's cloud gaming beta in the UK and Canada hints at a broader cross-platform entertainment strategy.
Netflix is pushing into living room gaming with a new collection of party titles that use smartphones as controllers, a move designed to deepen user engagement beyond streaming video. The first five games are timed to launch ahead of the holiday season.
Your phone is the host: The system is designed for simplicity, letting subscribers launch a game from their TV and have players join in by connecting their phones. The initial slate includes five titles: LEGO Party!, Pictionary: Game Night, Boggle Party, Tetris Time Warp, and Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends.
Beyond the binge: This initiative builds on Netflix's 2021 entry into mobile gaming and its catalog of over 100 titles, making interactive content as seamless to access as a movie. The company stated its goal is to make playing games "as easy as streaming a show on a Friday night," with more titles planned for early 2026.
Entering the arena: The move puts Netflix in direct competition with other tech giants already in home gaming, from Amazon's Luna service on Fire TV to Apple's ever-growing Apple Arcade. The company's ongoing cloud gaming beta in the UK and Canada is another piece of this puzzle, hinting at a broader strategy to secure a spot in the cross-platform entertainment race.
For Netflix, this isn't just about adding features; it's a strategic push to capture more of users' entertainment time, turning passive viewing into active, shared experiences on its platform.
Also on our radar: As Netflix expands its engagement features, its ad business is also set to explode, with one forecast predicting its AVOD revenue will surge 116% next year, challenging Hulu for market leadership.
