According to The Verge, Netflix’s TV gaming initiative launches today with multiplayer party games that use your phone as a controller. The initial lineup includes Boggle Party, Party Crasher: Fool Your Friends, Lego Party, Pictionary: Game Night, and Tetris Time Warp, with a Knives Out-themed social deduction game called Dead Man’s Party coming later. This represents Netflix’s latest attempt to find its footing in gaming after years of bouncing between strategies, including acquiring studios like Night School and Spry Fox starting in 2021 and attempting to build AAA console games. The company recently shut down several gaming studios, including its AAA studio in 2024 before it could release anything, signaling that previous approaches weren’t working. Netflix’s gaming president Alain Tascan confirmed the need to “readjust and focus on fewer areas with more intention,” with party games now being one of four key focus areas alongside kids games, narrative IP games, and broadly appealing titles.
Netflix’s gaming identity crisis
Here’s the thing about Netflix’s gaming journey so far: it’s been all over the place. They started by buying up respected indie studios and talking big about AAA console ambitions. They had exclusive mobile rights to critically acclaimed games like Hades and Monument Valley. But then they started shutting studios down and removing third-party games, often catching developers by surprise. It was basically a classic case of throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
And honestly? None of it really stuck. Not in a way that justified the expense, anyway. So now they’re pivoting hard toward casual, social experiences that actually make sense for their platform. Party games on TV? That’s smart. It plays to their strengths as a household entertainment brand rather than trying to compete with PlayStation or Xbox on their turf.
Why party games actually make sense
This move toward TV-based party games feels like Netflix finally understanding what they are. They’re not a game publisher—they’re a platform where people gather to be entertained. Giving families and friends something to do together that doesn’t require buying consoles or learning complex controls? That’s a genuine value proposition.
Look at the timing too. There’s been a huge surge in popularity for casual co-op games this year—think Peak rather than Fortnite. People want lower-stakes social gaming experiences, and Netflix is positioning itself perfectly to catch that wave. Boggle Party and Pictionary are just digital versions of board game night, while Tetris and Lego games are familiar properties that everyone understands. No learning curve, no expensive hardware—just your TV and phone.
The bigger picture
Netflix isn’t alone in this pivot toward casual gaming. Apple Arcade and Amazon Luna both started with ambitious, big-name titles before shifting toward more accessible offerings. The reality is that the real competition isn’t just other game platforms—it’s TikTok, Instagram, and every other attention-sucking app out there.
And Netflix gets this. They’ve been experimenting with daily puzzle games and interactive events with cash prizes too. They’re clearly trying to become a daily habit rather than just a place to binge-watch shows. Remember when they released Squid Game: Unleashed and talked up its popularity? That was them testing the waters for exactly this kind of social gaming experience.
Will this actually work?
So here’s the million-dollar question: after all the false starts, is this finally Netflix’s gaming breakthrough? I think it’s their best shot yet. Party games align with their brand, require minimal investment compared to AAA development, and serve their core business goal—keeping people in the Netflix ecosystem.
The previous strategy of trying to be everything to everyone was doomed from the start. But focusing on casual social experiences that families can enjoy together? That feels authentic. It might not make them a gaming powerhouse, but it could finally give them a sustainable gaming business that complements their streaming service rather than distracting from it.
