Katarzyna Petru
Netflix takes another step towards gaming – this time on the big screen. After years of experimenting with mobile games, the company is finally releasing its first titles that you can launch directly… on your television. But be warned: these are not console games, but rather typical party games that are designed to entertain the whole group.
First games available on TV
To start, Netflix is launching five games, which you can already find in the Netflix app on smart TVs:
LEGO Party! – a set of fun mini-games, a treasure hunt, quick duels and plenty of LEGO-style chaos.
Boggle Party – a television wordsearch where up to 8 players compete to find hidden words faster.
Pictionary: Game Night – a new version of the classic "draw and guess," perfect for family evenings.
Tetris Time Warp – a return to retro, but with a twist – we travel back to different eras of the iconic Tetris.
Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends – one person causes chaos at the party, and the rest must unmask them. Simple, fun, perfect for Netflix & chill… but in multiplayer mode.
In the coming weeks, Dead Man’s Party: A Knives Out Game will also be released – an atmospheric deduction game set in the "Knives Out" universe, featuring Benoit Blanc and the classic "who killed?" One culprit, the rest suspects. Sounds like a ready-made hit for house parties.
Where does it work?
Netflix launches television games only in selected regions. Fortunately, Poland is on the list. In addition to us, access is available in countries such as: the USA, the UK, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and a dozen others.
On which devices?
The list of supported devices is already quite long, but... many manufacturers are still out of the game.
It works on:
Amazon Fire TV,
Chromecast with Google TV,
Roku,
Nvidia Shield,
Xfinity 4K,
Smart TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony, Vizio, Xumo.
DOES NOT work on:
Panasonic,
Philips,
Hisense,
TCL,
Apple TV,
PlayStation,
Xbox.
Netflix, however, announces that support will be expanded.
What are you controlling with?
The controller… is your smartphone.
You need to download the Netflix Game Controller app and pair it with your television.
And for now, that’s the only option – physical controllers are not supported.
And what about the bigger games?
Netflix has not mentioned anything about adding titles like GTA or Red Dead Redemption to the TV, although some of them work today in the Netflix mobile app. However, the company clearly states that it has long-term ambitions to develop a gaming platform on televisions.
So perhaps one day we will play big AAA games without a console – just from Netflix.
Today, however, they are starting with what works best: party games for an evening with friends.
