I rarely play games on my phone and usually confine my mobile gaming for those arduous moments such as long-haul flights or waiting in bureaucratic queues, such as banks. But the use of phones in Argentine banks is banned unfortunately, just in case you’re planning a heist and communicating with fellow heisters outside the bank. But that’s another story.
Mobile gaming is massive, but it’s a difficult market to succeed in. In fact, the whole gaming market is challenging, as Google knows its cost, having shut down Google Stadia – a cloud gaming service. Xbox Game Pass also has many cloud-based games that you can play on your phone, but these are limited to the Ultimate level of the subscription, so I was unable to test it because I have the Standard version and it’s really not worth my while paying an extra $7 per month for something I’ll hardly ever use.
Netflix Games
There are now over 70 games to choose from on Netflix and the good news is that they are all free to play for subscribers, have no ads, and no microtransactions. According to reports, there have been around 34 million game downloads since the service began in November 2021 and Netflix has even acquired several mobile gaming studios. One of the most popular games is The Queen’s Gambit Chess, followed by Asphalt Extreme and Tomb Raider Reloaded.
I played Asphalt Extreme for a while but came last in every race because I’m crap at driving on my phone. But it was a lot of fun, looked great, and more than anything, there were no ads nor microtransactions. I mention this because many of the other games for mobile constantly nag you to buy loot boxes and other rubbish. Well done, Netflix, for showing responsibility on this controversial subject.
I then had a go with Tomb Raider Reloaded which is a top-down, portrait aspect adventure shooter loosely based on Lara’s fun in Peru. It’s very good at what it does, looks great and I can see why it may be addictive. But it’s a little franticly monotonous for my tastes and I had trouble getting Lara to go where I wanted her to go. Although not part of Netflix Games, Lara Croft Go is far superior, being more cerebral and puzzle-solving.
Finally, and against my better judgment, I tangled with Too Hot To Handle 2, a reality TV dating game, populated by plastic morons with impossibly toned bodies, all with sex on their minds. The experience lasted all of 60 seconds before I was about to stab my eyes out with a lethal instrument, but you get the drift.
If you’re a fan of mobile games and also subscribe to Netflix, this service is sure to be a great way to play mobile games at no extra cost. Me? I’ll stick to what I already have installed and wait for that long flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
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