Rediscover the Golden Era: When Netflix Offered Amazing Free Games Everyone’s Forgotten

For years, Netflix provided subscribers with a chance to play some fantastic games on their phones. Titles like Hades and classic Grand Theft Auto games from the PS2 era were available to every tier of subscribers. However, Netflix didn’t do a great job of promoting these games, and now many are being removed. In less than a week, several beloved titles will no longer be accessible.

The games leaving include all three Monument Valley titles, along with popular indie games like Braid: Anniversary Edition, Hades, and Katana ZERO. Others, like Rainbow Six: SMOL, are also getting the axe. Fans of Hades will have to say goodbye starting July 1, while other games will be phased out later. Some players had barely a moment to enjoy these titles—Monument Valley 3, for instance, has only been on Netflix since 2024. A full list of the games leaving can be seen in a report by Engadget.

The list includes:

• Battleship
• Braid: Anniversary Edition
• Carmen Sandiego
• CoComelon: Play with JJ
• Death’s Door
• Diner Out: Merge Cafe
• Dumb Ways to Die
• Ghost Detective
• Hades
• Katana ZERO
• LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed
• Ludo King
• Monument Valley
• Monument Valley 2
• Monument Valley 3
• Rainbow Six: SMOL
• Raji: An Ancient Epic
• SpongeBob: Bubble Pop F.U.N.
• TED Tumblewords
• The Case of the Golden Idol
• The Rise of the Golden Idol
• Vineyard Valley

While some of these games might come out as premium titles on mobile, this shift shows Netflix’s gaming strategy is facing challenges. The platform struggled to raise awareness about its gaming section, leading to low engagement. Many users didn’t even realize these games were included with their subscriptions. Marketing played a huge role in this disconnect. Initially, subscribers had to hunt for games in app stores, which likely contributed to their low visibility.

Earlier this year, Netflix made a significant change in its gaming strategy, shutting down a “AAA” studio led by experienced veterans and laying off staff at Night School Studio, which created Oxenfree. Netflix’s head of game development, Alain Tascan, expressed a need for a stronger identity, suggesting a focus on games inspired by Netflix reality shows and titles for kids. For example, Thronglets, based on the show Black Mirror, was promoted recently. But will these tie-in games resonate with serious gamers?

A survey by CNBC showed that user interest in Netflix’s gaming platform is low, mainly due to a lack of unique content. Tascan plans to make some games playable directly in the Netflix app, enhancing ease of access. However, the potential of titles like Hades remains limited due to licensing issues.

Netflix’s gaming journey began with significant investment but lacked a clear direction. The removal of these games signals a potential decline, and if marketing doesn’t improve, subscribers may never know what they missed out on.

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Gaming,Netflix