After losing subscribers for the first time in over a decade, Netflix confirmed that it is going to double down on its gaming arm, which includes releasing a dedicated Netflix version of the Exploding Kittens - The Game mobile game.
Fast forward to today and Netflix has confirmed when Exploding Kittens - The Game as well as its animated TV show are coming to Netflix.
Exploding Kittens - The Game is headed to Netflix on May 31 and the cartoon is coming by next year. Exploding Kittens - The Game isn't necessarily exclusive to Netflix. However, the platform's version will have a set of exclusive cards. The Radar, for example, will expose the position of the Exploding Kitten closest to the top of the deck. Meanwhile, Flip Flop reverses the cards of the deck in play.
In addition to Exploding Kittens, Netflix will also welcome three more games: Dragon Up, Townsmen - A Kingdom Rebuilt, and Moonlighter.
BIG NEWS: Today we’re launching Dragon Up, Moonlighter, Townsmen - A Kingdom Rebuilt exclusively on mobile for Netflix members around the world! ALSO - excited to share that in ONE WEEK we will also be launching Exploding Kittens - The Game EVERYWHERE pic.twitter.com/1mwmN14x2p
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) May 24, 2022
Moonlighter is easily the highlight of the three incoming titles. The 2018 action RPG with rogue-lite elements puts players in the shoes of a shopkeeper who moonlights as a magical hero who fights evil monsters and saves the land at night. Due to its popularity, the game received a mobile port that was later pulled from digital storefronts. Now, Netflix is adding the game to its expanding library for mobile gamers to enjoy. However, Dragon Up, an idle game about dragons, and a Townsmen - A Kingdom Rebuilt, a mobile version of the 2019 medieval city builder for the PC, should prove to be just as entertaining.
Does Netflix want to become the next Apple Arcade? It's possible. However, it has to avoid the trappings faced by Apple's offering. Netflix will want to make sure that its mobile game streaming service has enough heavy hitters instead of settling for dozens of quality titles. Otherwise, it will end up offering quantity over quality. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it won't be enough to keep subscribers around either.
Make no mistake, Netflix has done a surprisingly great job of bringing over quality games. If Netflix can deliver at least 50 titles before the year ends, then the streaming giant might be on to something.
Who knows? This might encourage Netflix to invest in a smash hit or two. By then, there's a chance we'll end up spending as much time gaming on Netflix as streaming movies.
