Netflixprobably isn’t your go-to option when you’ve got an itch for gaming, but it is an option. While the streaming service seems to be working on getting games streamed directly to your television, as of right now, it’s a way to scratch that itch when you’ve got just your phone to keep you entertained.
A few months back, one of our writersdove deep into the world of Netflix gaming, noting a report that only 1% of Netflix users could be bothered to fiddle around with its games at all. But that’s a trend that I could see shifting in a positive direction, especially considering howRockstaris getting on with the streaming service.
I’ve alreadydone a whole piece on it, but when reviewing Netflix’s library of games, it seems ridiculous not to mention theGrand Theft Autogames that were recently added. The Definitive Editions of Grand Theft Auto 3,Vice City, andSan Andreasare by far the heavy hitters in this catalog, and despite the negative stigma surrounding the 2021 remasters they’re built around, they’re actually pretty fun to play, as long as you can handle careening out of control whenever you jump behind the wheel. Still, it begs the question of what else is available to play, and is any of it worth your time?
Action And Adventure In Abundance
While most of them aren’t exclusive to Netflix, there is a pretty decent selection of action and adventure titles up for grabs, all for the price of admission you’d already be paying for Netflix’s streaming television service. I’m starting off withTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. It’s a game I’ve heard a lot about but hadn’t actually played myself before this, and I get all the hype. It’s an absolute throwback to the TMNT games I used to play back in the days of arcade machines and the NES (but not the first game. That one was brutal and not at all in the classic beat-‘em-up style).
I have to say, though, that I think I’d prefer it on console or PC rather than on a phone. The buttons are mapped directly over the screen, and while there is a border on either side, both my character and enemies are free to walk or jump kick into the areas where my thumbs eclipse the screen, which was a little frustrating. Still, they’ve kept it up to date with thetwo newest playable characters, so it’s a nice port of the game if mobile is your only option (or if you don’t want to pay full price for it).
If you’re looking for something a little more on-brand for Netflix, there are also a handful of games centered around its popular horror show Stranger Things, and two of them provide a nice action adventure element. I’d played the chibi-fied first one way back when the second season was still fresh and new, so I decided to jump into Stranger Things 3, which generally follows the plot of the third season, complete with Steve and Robin in their dorky Scoops Ahoy uniforms.
It was all right, but a little slow. I beat some rats with Mike’s baseball bat and Lucas’ slingshot, busted open a bunch of crates and discarded purses looking for loose change, and ran errand after errand for Mike’s mom, creepy lifeguard Billy, and creepy lifeguard Billy’s equally creepy lifeguard friend, and I don’t even remember if he was a character on the show. I feel like I didn’t make it very far at all despite multiple hours of play, but it was an entertaining enough time-waster that I might go back to it again if I’m feeling bored.
Beyond that, there are a couple of other standout platformers and adventures, includingSpiritfarer,Dead Cells, and a Subway Surfers-esqueSonicPrime game. Nothing earth-shattering, but nothing to sneeze at either.
Sims And Storytelling Games
As a streaming television service, telling stories is what Netflix is all about. After Grand Theft Auto, the newest release to come out was an original visual novel titled Money Heist. Since it’s fresh, I decided to give it a go, and while it’s notthe most compelling visual novel I’ve ever played, the tale of Robin Hooding art thieves kept my interest long enough to make it through the first eight (of at least 20) chapters in one sitting. Along with tense moments and decision making that will tear you between helping the team and avenging your murdered parents, there are also multiple romance options and a couple of hacking minigames, one that involves matching up different sections of wire, and another that’s kind of like Wordle but way easier, if you’ve been paying attention to the story.
If you’re looking for a little steamier storytelling, there’s also a game based on Love Is Blind (yes, I watched the first season, and no, I didn’t play it) and a couple Too Hot To Handle games, which, hey, I’m not going to judge you if you wanna pick them up. You do you. Oh, and there’s alwaysOxenfreeif you want something on the spooky side.
As far as simulations, there are quite a few here, but most of them look like phone games, not games that I just happen to be playing on my phone. The big exception is Farm Simulator 23, about which I’ve heard some really good things, so I decided to give it a go.
I wandered around a bit, jumped into a combine harvester, harvested an entire field of wheat painfully slowly, and … well, that was about it. Having never played on PC or console, I don’t know if there’s supposed to be a formal tutorial, but here, all I got was a long list of disorganized help screens that didn’t end up being all that helpful. I couldn’t figure out how to sell the wheat I’d harvested, much less get it out of the combine. I looked at my chickens, but I had no idea how to feed them or collect eggs. I found the option to buy more, but there’s little point if I can’t do anything with them. I feel like maybe this one is there for people who already know how to play, and that’s not me, but if you’re already a fan, you might find the Netflix version enjoyable.
Not A Fully Functional Gaming Platform?
As I was making my initial browse through Nexflix’s gaming library, the first game to jump out to me thatdidn’thave GTA in its title was11 bit studios' roguelike action/simMoonlighter. I already own a physical copy for Switch, and it’s a nifty little title, if you haven’t played it, having you take on the role of a dungeon-delving adventurer by night who sells their hard-won treasures as a shopkeep by day. It’s also got recent reviews that indicate an 88% approval rating on Steam, which is still selling it for $20, so basically getting access to it for free with a Netflix subscription seems with the price of admission.
And then came the crushing defeat. Even after downloading it twice, the game continued to crash before I could even get to the title screen every time I tried to open it. Unlike consoles, all phones are going to perform differently, but my Samsung Galaxy is less than a year old and hasn’t had any trouble running any other software, so not being able to try this game out on mobile was a bit of a bummer.
Based on the reviews on the Google Play Store of just 1.7/5, it seems like while others aren’t having trouble opening it up, there are plenty of other problems, like disappearing items and a lack of support for controller add-ons, even the ones that the game’s page claims to support. Adding to the equation that a Netflix account is now the only way to play Moonlighter on your phone, it’s not the best look.
Still, only one game out about a dozen that I tried didn’t work at all, and the others were better than most of the freeware I could get on my phone otherwise (KotORand Shining Force notwithstanding). Do I expect Netflix is going to take over the gaming world? Not really, and I’m curious how well it’ll stream to televisions when that option becomes available. For now though, as a mobile gaming hub, it’s certainly not bad — a lot better than all the ad-filled freeware I’ve picked up for a day and deleted — and if the company can keep mixing in AAA ports like Grand Theft Auto, I don’t think that 1% problem will last forever.
