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Earlier this year, Netflix announced that it would add mobile games to its service, for some reason. Now, the streaming titan's first ten games are here, so we checked each of them out. While they're entertaining enough, you aren't missing much if you don't play them.

The games are available on both iOS and Android. There are no ads, no in-app purchases, and it doesn't cost anything extra to access or play them. Every profile on your account can enjoy the games, and you can use multiple devices to play them. They're each available in multiple languages, though they default to English, and are not available on kid profiles---only on adult profiles. And best yet, some of the games are available offline, so you can enjoy playing them on an airplane or while camping.

How to Play Netflix's Games

Netflix keeps the games neatly tucked away in a dedicated tab within its app. Each game has a dedicated page complete with its own trailer, in-game screenshots, and game details (like maturity ratings, languages, controller support info, Internet requirements, and more). And, of course, Netflix also offers up a few related movie and TV show recommendations from the service that you might like. Everything is tied up in a neat little bow.

It's worth noting that you'll need to download each game individually from your mobile app store. And in order to play each game, you'll need to login with your Netflix account, and a specific account if you have more than one.

Without further ado, let's take a look at each of Netflix's new games:

Shooting Hoops

I guess Netflix thinks putting a basketball through a hoop is too easy and boring. But while that's still our goal here in Shooting Hoops (Android or iPhone), this ball has a blaster gun taped to it. The blaster is the ball's only source of propulsion, and it moves in the opposite direction of wherever you tap.

That's more or less the plot of this simple game, though the hoop moves around each level, and you have a limited amount of time to make the shot. It's a bit lame in concept and execution, but still a teeny bit of fun. I give it a 4/10.

Dominoes Café

Nothing to hate about a digital game of dominoes, right? Right. That's essentially all that this game offers, but you've got three classic game modes and three difficulty levels to play around with. You can even opt to play one-on-one or two-on-two.

Dominoes Cafe (Android or iPhone) also allows you to customize the table background and tile design options to suit your tastes; plus, there are multiple soundtracks to enjoy. I found the game to be a little underwhelming, though, and never a real challenge at any point. In some modes, dominoes with no match are greyed out, and when you tap on one that does have a match, the game shows you exactly where to place it. I'd recommend just playing dominoes in real life instead---2/10.

Bowling Ballers

Bowling Ballers (Android or iPhone) game is the love child of Temple Run and Candy Crush. It's not hard to play---like at all---but somehow, it's still fun enough to play level after level. All you do is move the bowling ball slightly to the left or right of the lane as you pick up coins and bowling pins while dodging deceptive sweets like ice cream cones, cupcakes, chocolate bars, donuts, and jawbreakers.

The pathway moves quickly, so do your best to reach checkpoints, so you don't have to play the entire level again. Eventually, as you gain coins and other items, you'll set new records and unlock customization options for your ball. Simple, colorful, and sweetly addicting---6/10.

Asphalt Xtreme

As everyone knows, racing games are the best type of video game. So, naturally, Asphalt Xtreme (Android or iPhone) knocks it out of the park with its racing adventures. This game ended up being my favorite of the bunch and is definitely the best option in what is presumably the beginning of Netflix's gaming era (we'll see how well this ages, though).

Given that this game is a reboot of Gameloft's Asphalt Xtreme, which shuttered a few months ago, it's no surprise that it looks far better than Netflix's other offerings. This game looks terrific, is actually complex, and plays smooth as butter. And as is the case with most other racing games, you'll have the opportunity to upgrade your vehicle and collect loot and trophies along the way. Heck, you even have the option to steer your car either with on-screen controls or via your device's accelerometer. There's a lot to do here, and it's fun for all ages. It gets a 9/10 from me.

Teeter (Up)

Teeter (Up) (Android or iPhone) has an extremely simple design that is simultaneously the thing that makes this game so easy and so challenging. The components? A single plank of wood, a ball, and a hole. The rules? Raise the plank high enough to get the ball in the hole. Easy enough, right? Hell no.

This game somehow demands finesse, a decent amount of skill, and A LOT of patience. If you were going to start filming a rage-quit series on YouTube, I'd say start with this game because it'll shoot your blood pressure through the roof. But still, it's pretty dang fun and earns a 7/10.

Stranger Things 3: The Game

If you're a fan of Netflix's Stranger Things series, you'll like Stranger Things 3: The Game (Android or iPhone) and the other Stranger Things game below. This particular game is a companion to the third season of (you guessed it) Stranger Things and features a stellar retro pixel-y look backed by a great soundtrack.

After selecting your difficulty level, you'll start with two characters and progress through the fantastic text-based game. You'll play through a combination of familiar events and brand new unseen quests, secrets, and character interactions. And remember, teamwork makes the dream work (and nets the game an 8/10).

Stranger Things: 1984

I LOVE the 8-bit video game soundtrack and pixel-y design in Stranger Things: 1984 (Android or iPhone). There are two difficulty settings to choose from for this top-down action-adventure game, a la The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and similar titles. In it, you'll join Hopper and the kids as they complete missions around Hawkins and (gasp!) the Upside Down.

The game gives you on-screen menus and pop-up dialogue boxes to work with, and you'll tap items on your screen for the characters to move towards and interact with. As you progress, you'll have a variety of puzzles to solve and clues to collect. Watch out for bad guys and monsters, though! This game is a ton of fun even if you didn't watch the show, thanks to its retro feel, and easily snags an 8/10 from me.

Card Blast

Love all the different hands you can play in Poker but don't actually like playing Poker? Card Blast (Android or iPhone) is the game for you. Each round, you'll be tasked to create a particular hand from the iconic game, like a full house, a straight flush, or two pairs.

Things aren't quite as simple as they seem, however. In order to build each hand, you'll have to choose your cards from a short conveyer belt that's pushing the available cards toward a saw blade that'll destroy them forever, so you'll have to think fast. While Card Blast isn't gonna win any Game of the Year awards, it's plenty entertaining for when you need to kill some time---5/10.

Wonderputt Forever

Everyone likes mini-golf, and Wonderputt Forever (Android or iPhone) offers up tons of creative levels that are fun to explore. My biggest gripe---and it's a doozy---is that you can't always see where the ball needs to go, nor is it always intuitive where it might even possibly be able to go.

It was also frustrating when you'd make a really good shot, but still, the ball would fall off course for no good reason or be snatched off the course by a gorilla. Odd choices were made here, I know. There are better and less frustrating mini-golf games out there---I'm sure of it. 1/10.

Knittens

Look, I like cats as much as the next guy, and this cat-themed game of Bejeweled is pretty rad. If you've played any tile-matching game, you've played this one; however, Knittens (Android or iPhone) does let you choose a cat, which is pretty hard to argue with.

Work your way through increasingly-difficult levels by swapping skeins of yarn with your little cat paw. As you progress, you'll be given goals to reach each level, like collecting a certain number of blue yarn balls or making two big combos. And again, Knittens is a simple and relaxing tile-matching game that players of any age can enjoy-5/10.


Some Final Thoughts

Venturing into gaming might seem like a weird move for Netflix. But, if you look around, you'll see that it really isn't. The five biggest tech companies in the world---Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook), and Microsoft---have all entered the realm of gaming. So, Netflix jumping aboard the bandwagon is no coincidence, and the decently wide variety of games it's offering here out of the gate is pretty telling, too.

Netflix is obviously trying to garner the attention of younger users here and become one of those apps everyone hangs out on (a la social media, chat apps, or TikTok). In addition to adding games to its streaming service, it also added a "Fast Laughs" tab in its app earlier this year. That feature is similar to TikTok and YouTube shorts and gives users a feed of short clips from Netflix's TV shows and movies.

All in all, Netflix adding games is a solid plan to attract people who probably don't have their own subscription to the service yet or a good enough reason to sign up for it. It'll be interesting to see how Netflix evolves its gaming offerings and if it can eventually pick up support for bigger games and more noteworthy studios.

Want to check out Netflix's games? You can download each title through the links above; remember that you'll need an active Netflix subscription to play, though. Download Netflix's app to get started: Android or iPhone.