Mobile gaming is part of everyday life for most people. We play on our iPhones and iPads on the bus, in free seats in our busy schedules, while waiting for the doctor, or even when we’re hanging out with friends and family. And why shouldn’t we? With access to multiple gaming services and countless games, these small screens are an amazing source of entertainment wherever we go.
As most of us have come to know, many of the most popular mobile games on the App Store are free. But of course, you usually have to pay for that free access by agonizing through mind-numbing ads or being constantly nudged by unrelenting in-game microtransactions. Some of these popups have seriously caused the iMore team to throw our expensive iPhone 14 Pro phones across the room.
Apple Arcade has successfully found a way to address this frustrating game disruption with its affordable, ad-free mobile game subscription. But another ad-free mobile gaming alternative isn’t being used by a lot of people who are already paying for it: Netflix games. In fact, they may not even know it exists, mThat’s a damn shame given the growing quality of the catalog the TV and film service is quietly building.
Ad-free, microtransaction-free and included with Netflix
Of all the major streaming services available today, Netflix boasts by far the largest number of members with 220.67 million subscribers in 2022 (opens in new tab). Within that number, there are many people who have not played any of the games made available through their subscription.
As I said earlier, there are no in-game purchases, no additional fees, no ads, and you can access these games as many times as you like with a current membership. It should be noted that it is only available for mobile devices. So, within the Apple ecosystem, you can play on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS/iPadOS 15 or later.
If you are unaware of the existence of this library of games, that’s because the young feathers of Netflix Games have only recently fallen to the ground. It was added to the broader Netflix subscription plan last year in November 2021.
You may think I already have my go-to games or mobile gaming service and don’t need another. But you really shouldn’t ignore what Netflix Games has to offer as it has some of the best iPhone games available. Don’t miss Moonlighter, Digital Sun’s hit action-adventure game, or Subset Games’ turn-based strategy game Into the Breach. In addition, Stranger Things fans can have fun racing through retro-style adventures that follow the plots of Seasons 1 and 3 featuring Stranger Things 1984 and Stranger Things 3: The Game.
Since it’s still in its infancy, Netflix Games still has plenty of room to grow and it’s not quite ready to add additional titles. Just last week it added two big games to its library. First, Oxenfree, Night School Studio’s popular paranormal thriller, has been added. A choice-based adventure game that follows teenagers and their supernatural encounters on a deserted island. Secondly, Desta: The Memories Between, the latest creation from Monument Valley developer Ustwo Games, has also been added to the library. If you haven’t played these games yet, you should definitely check them out.
All Netflix games available now
- Arcanium: Rise of Akhan
- Asphalt Xtreme
- Before your eyes
- bowling baller
- card explosion
- Desta: The memories in between
- Domino cafe
- dragon up
- dungeon dwarves
- Exploding kittens
- Heads up!
- Hextech Mayhem: A History of League of Legends
- into the breach
- Into the dead 2
- knitwear
- Krispee Street
- Happy Luna
- Mahjong Solitaire
- moonlighting
- Made! support bash
- Ox free
- Poinpy
- Relic Hunter Universe
- Rival pirates
- Shatter remastered
- shooting hoops
- wrong way driver
- SpongeBob: Cook!
- Stranger Things 3: The Game
- Stranger Things: 1984
- rocker (top)
- This is a true story
- Townsmen – A kingdom rebuilt
- Wild Things: Animal Adventures
- Wonderputt forever
How do you access Netflix games in the first place?
Netflix makes it incredibly easy to get to their games via two different routes. First off, on your compatible iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you can scroll down the Netflix app until you get to the games list. Alternatively, you can go to the App Store and search for a specific game by name. Just make sure Netflix is listed in the game’s icon image, name, or as a developer, as different versions of the same game can be found on the App Store.
An excellent library
As Apple Arcade has continued to grow and add more titles, Netflix Games is on its way to adding several more adventures to its library of games. Keep in mind that it’s currently less than a year old and about two years younger than Apple Arcade. With a little more time, it could become an even bigger hub for mobile gaming.
Last but not least, current Netflix subscribers shouldn’t miss the opportunity to try out the ad-free and microtransaction-free games made available to them on the service. Watch popular hits for the first time or play them from the comfort of your iPhone or iPad. It’s on ‘TADUM’ Netflix really should be screaming more.