Netflix has announced a new feature allowing its subscribers to play games on smart TVs, marking the first step in the platform’s strategy to expand beyond streaming movies and series.

The launch lineup includes popular titles such as Pictionary: Game Night, Boggle Party, and Tetris Time Warp, accessible through the “Games” tab within the Netflix app on smart TVs.

The new feature enables users to play multiplayer games with friends using mobile phones as controllers via a dedicated app that turns the phone into an interactive device with the game on the screen. This new experience represents a significant expansion of Netflix’s gaming services, which were previously available only on phones and tablets.

Following the latest Netflix app update, users can browse available games and select what they want to play directly on their TV. The initial game collection includes titles like Lego Party!, Pictionary: Game Night, Boggle Party, Tetris Time Warp, and Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends, all supporting multiplayer mode, making them ideal for friends and families.

Boggle Party allows up to eight players to compete in forming words from a letter grid, while Lego Party offers a collection of mini-games involving gold hunting in various challenge zones.

Pictionary: Game Night revives the classic drawing game atmosphere, while Tetris Time Warp takes players on a journey through the history of Tetris to achieve the highest scores across different eras. Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends adds a fun twist with challenges based on deception and guessing among participants.

Netflix has been involved in gaming for about four years but initially focused on smartphone platforms only. In 2023, the company launched a separate iOS app called Netflix Game Controller, allowing the phone to be used as a controller while playing on big screens.

This move aligns with Netflix’s vision to broaden its entertainment scope by integrating interactive games alongside traditional visual content, aiming to attract a wider audience and offer a more diverse and interactive experience that combines watching and playing in one place, transforming Netflix from a streaming platform into a comprehensive entertainment destination.