Netflix may still be the first name that springs to mind when you want to stream a movie or TV show, but in recent years the streaming service has made inroads into gaming as well. In fact, your Netflix subscription gets you access to a whole host of great games, with the small caveat that you have to play them on your phone or tablet.
While these may not be many people’s preferred gaming platforms, that doesn’t mean there aren’t great ways to spend your time on Netflix before finding your next favorite show. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best games on the platform and broken them down into categories so you know which ones are right for you:
What we are looking for
Netflix games are only available on phones or tablets, which isn’t always the platform games are designed for. When choosing the best games on Netflix, it’s important to consider how they translate to a smaller screen or touchscreen.
Not everyone is drawn to the same types of games. We could fill this list with just puzzle games or narrative-focused games, but the goal is for everyone to be able to find something they enjoy, so our list includes titles from a variety of genres and moods.
Yes, everything else is important, but if the game isn’t fun, what’s the point? Each of these games comes highly recommended by a staff writer at Polygon.
The best mobile games from Netflix
In this category, you’ll find more traditional mobile games that have generally already appeared on the app stores. In other words, if you’re looking to complement your Netflix subscription with other mobile games, this is the perfect category for you.
Image: Kooapps LLC. via Amazon App Store
A light remix of the classic Snake Formula, Snake.io throws you into a random lobby with dozens of other players vying to become the biggest snake and eat everyone else. It’s fun and can be surprisingly addictive, especially if you’re good enough to rule over all the smaller snakes in your lobby.
Image: Ninja Kiwi via Steam
A tower defense classic, Bloons Tower Defense 6 offers an incredible number of upgrades to purchase and levels to play through, all with the goal of stopping the nefarious balloons from reaching their destination.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon
Image: Yacht Club Games
A spinoff of the excellent Roguelike Shovel Knight, Pocket Dungeon is a roguelike puzzle game in which you must help Shovel Knight dig his way through various levels made up of enemies and dirt, all equally dangerous.
Great games that fit perfectly
These are solid games that don’t necessarily feel like mobile games, but work pretty well on the platform. They’re mostly (but not exclusively) narrative games, and they offer great experiences that rival some of Netflix’s best shows.
Image: Thunder Lotus Games
Ghost driver is a beautiful game where you transport people to the afterlife. It’s a gentle, beautiful game that’s mostly about piling things on your boat as carefully as possible, but the touching characters are the real star of the show.
Image: Cardboard Computer/Annapurna Interactive
Kentucky Route Zero is a wonderful adventure game that is more or less about the strangest road trip you will ever take. The game mainly follows a truck driver trying to make a delivery, but the real attraction is stopping on the side of the road every now and then to have a chat with some of the most unique and fascinating characters ever created for a game.
Image: Subset Games
Created by the developers of the enormous Roguelike Superluminal speed, Into the breach is a fantastic turn-based strategy game where you manage your mech army and send them on missions. A word of warning: this game is by far the most challenging on this list.
Make no mistake, this category is full of good, sometimes even great games… but they’re also games that we can’t give a full recommendation for (mainly) because if you’re playing them through Netflix, you’re playing them on a mobile device, and those games were developed for other platforms. Luckily, your subscription also lets you download games at any time, so you might as well give the titles on this list a shot and see if the somewhat limited controls bother you. Or if you have a controller that works with Bluetooth, connect it to your phone and have fun with it.
The Grand Theft Auto series
Image: Rockstar North/Rockstar Games
Netflix gives you access to Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityAnd Grand Theft Auto: San Andreasall good games on consoles and in their own right, but the touchscreen controls are a big challenge for these already flawed remakes. But with GTA6 just around the corner, it’s at least a good time to get back into the series.
Image: Number None
A great puzzle platformer with fantastic gameplay and narrative twists. Lichens works well enough on a phone to try it anyway.
Image: Motion Twin
A difficult game under the best of conditions, the touchscreen controls are a bit much to ask of this 2D roguelike Metroidvania gem. However, if the controls work well for you, it’s one of the best games Netflix has to offer.
Image: Supergiant Games
One of the best roguelikes of the decade, Hades’ Excellent characters and artistic design, coupled with inventive weapons and precise combat made it an instant classic when it was released in 2021, and its value has not diminished over time.
Football Manager 2024 Mobile
Image: Netflix Games
The controls are fine, but it’s hard to swallow that it’s still Football Manager. You probably know from the title alone whether you’ll like this game. If you’re not sure, maybe try managing your own football team and leading them to a Champions League title or a World Cup.
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