There are now games on YouTube and LinkedIn, and this is how you can play them

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of media companies bringing games to their platforms.

In a world where user attention is growing rapidly and attention spans are decreasing, streaming services and apps are looking for ways to keep their audiences engaged. It makes sense for companies to expand into gaming to keep users on the platform: the global gaming market is worth around $221 billion, making it a lucrative revenue source to explore.

Here’s a look at the latest companies entering the gaming space, and details about what each offers, including pricing, examples of titles, and supported devices.

Netflix Games

Netflix has a diverse portfolio of games, ranging from popular titles like GTA: The Trilogy, Assassin’s Creed and Monument Valley to nearly 100 games. And, compared to other competitors on our list, Netflix is ​​ahead due to its vast IP, which has grown its library with games tied to original series like “Love Is Blind”, “The Queen’s Gambit”, “Stranger Things” and more.

Netflix’s gaming offering is free for subscribers of its streaming service and can be accessed through its mobile app on iOS and Android devices. Players can browse the game library, and once they make their selection, they can download the games separately from Google Play or Apple’s App Store.

Those who want to try the game will need to pay for a Netflix subscription: Standard with ads ($6.99/month), Standard ($15.49/month) and Premium ($22.99/month). There are currently no add-on purchases or ads, but that may change.

Netflix entered the gaming industry in 2021, yet its offering has not gained significant momentum until recently, with 81.2 million downloads worldwide on the App Store and Google Play Store in 2023.

The company has expanded its gaming section in many ways since its initial launch. For example, it was recently seen experimenting with the ability to play games directly in the browser. The company has also introduced gamer tags and is testing a cloud gaming service.

Youtube Playables

Gaming seems like a natural path for YouTube, as it has always been one of the go-to destinations for gamers to livestream sessions and create content about popular video games. The Google-owned video platform officially integrated gaming features into its service in May 2024, giving users access to over 75 minigames.

YouTube’s offering, called “Playables,” includes a good selection of titles, including popular games like Angry Birds Showdown, Cut the Rope, Trivia Crack, and 8 Ball Billiards Classic. The games are primarily designed to pass the time while traveling or to play casually between YouTube video watching sessions.

While YouTube’s minigames were previously only available to premium subscribers, they are now free to play for all users. The offering is available on desktop, Android devices, and iOS devices. No downloads are required.

Sling TV Arcade

As Sling TV faces challenges in keeping up with its competitors, the DISH-owned streaming service has launched a free gaming platform called “Arcade” to attract and retain users. The new feature lets viewers play a variety of classic arcade games while watching their favorite TV show or movie.

The selection of games is small at the moment, with only 10 titles available, including Doodle Jump, Solitaire Clash, Tetris, and Wheel of Fortune. The company previously told TechCrunch that it would continue to add titles every few months, especially before popular sporting events.

When watching a show or movie, press down on the player and click “Interactive Features” to open the Arcade. After selecting a game, it will appear as a split screen next to the content you’re watching, which is convenient for lazy TV days when you enjoy repeat broadcasts of reality TV shows. There’s also an option to expand the game to full screen.

Arcade is available on Sling TV ($40-$45/month) and Sling Freestream, the company’s free ad-supported streaming service. However, it’s only available on select devices at this time: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Comcast, Samsung, and Vizio devices.

There are games on LinkedIn too

Gaming isn’t just an entertainment platform. LinkedIn’s foray into gaming is a significant expansion for the company, establishing it as more than just a professional networking platform.

In an effort to attract more users, LinkedIn announced in May that it had launched three games on its platform: a Sudoko-style game called Queens, a trivia game called CrossClimb, and Pinpoint, which is similar to the New York Times’ Connections game.

Each game is aimed at increasing connections with people in your network and can be played with first-degree connections, meaning people you are directly connected to on LinkedIn. Games can only be played once a day.