Last month,Netflixadded the first five titles to its brand new mobile games service. While the initial line-up didn’t do much to impress, with only twoStranger Thingsgames being worth playing, the groundwork is there, andNetflixcould do something truly special with the platform.
From TV shows based on video games themselves to period dramas, Netflix isn’t short on popular licenses. And many of these popular properties would make for some great mobile gaming experiences.
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Black Mirror
The bleak, hard-hitting satire,Black Mirrorstarted life as a Channel 4 anthology show in the UK. Written by the witty and talented Charlie Brooker,Black Mirrorwas heavily inspired byThe Twilight Zoneand focuses on technology’s effect on modern society. After its second series, the show moved over to Netflix, where subsequent series have gained a decent amount of critical acclaim.
While its dark subject matter might not make for the most “fun” game, some excellent writing and sharp humor could make aBlack Mirrorpoint-and-click game really work on the mobile platform. In usualBlack Mirrorfashion, the game could be a self-referential look at the mobile gaming market, providing satire on in-game transactions and shady market practices. And with theNetflix specialBandersnatchadopting a “choose your own adventure” structure for its meta look at game design and burnout, it seems like the groundwork is already there for a newBlack Mirrorgame.
The Witcher
WhileThe Witcherdoes have an excellent series of third-person open-world action games, theNetflix version of the charactersand story do differ in a few minor ways, with the show taking being closer to the novels than the games are. Another open-world third-person action game seems a little too ambitious for Netflix’s mobile platform, and would only be compared to its console and PC counterparts, so putting the game in a different genre may fare a little better.
AWitchermobile game could use strategy elements, such as featuring turn-based combat much like theFinal Fantasy Tacticsseries. For the overworld, the game could take some inspiration from theStranger Thingsmobile games that are currently available on the Netflix mobile service, and use a top-down or isometric view to help keep the scale of the game small. The rich world ofThe Witchershouldn’t just be limited to a few open-world games, no matter how excellent they are.
Bridgerton
A raunchy, meta period-drama might not be players' first thoughts on what Netflix properties could be translated into video games, butBridgerton’s focus on traditional role politicsmight make for an interesting and humorous text-based game that focuses on making choices. The game could take some inspiration from theReignsseries of mobile games, where players have to choose to accept or reject a proposition, leading to eventual consequences based on the player’s decisions.
Castlevania
Another Netflix property based on a beloved video game franchise,Castlevaniawould make the perfect mobile game. WhileCastlevania: Grimoire of Soulsand the adoredSymphony of the Nightcan be played on mobile, a brand new gameset in the world of the Netflix show, with its vibrant and distinct art style, could make for a mobile game that separates itself enough from the classic video game series to warrant its existence, but still retain the gameplay that fans love.
The future of Netflix’s mobile games service is still unknown, but hopefully, the team behind the platform will look to itspopular original TV showsfor inspiration. There’s a range of properties that could make for some really unique and memorable gaming experiences, even if they weren’t able to reach the same heights as some home console video games.
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