YouTube and LinkedIn Now Have Games, and Here’s How You Can Play Them

The trend of media companies offering games on their platforms has grown in recent years.

In a world where user attention spans are increasingly competitive and attention spans are shrinking, streaming services and apps are looking for ways to captivate their audiences. It makes sense that companies are expanding into the video game industry to keep users on the platform: the global video game market is worth around $221 billion, making it an interesting revenue stream to explore.

Here are the latest companies venturing into the gaming scene and details on each offering, including pricing, sample titles, and supported devices.

Netflix games

Netflix has a diverse portfolio of games, with nearly 100 titles including popular titles like GTA: The Trilogy, Assassin’s Creed, and Monument Valley, among others. And compared to other competitors on our list, Netflix has the edge thanks to its vast intellectual property, which enriches its library with games tied to original series like “Love Is Blind,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Stranger Things,” and many more.

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

Those wishing to try the games must purchase a Netflix subscription: Standard with ads ($6.99/month), Standard ($15.49/month), and Premium ($22.99/month). There are currently no additional purchases or ads, but that could change.

Netflix entered the gaming industry in 2021, but its offering hasn’t gained significant popularity until recently, with 81.2 million downloads worldwide on the App Store and Google Play Store in 2023.

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

Playable content on YouTube

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

Dubbed “Playables,” YouTube’s offering features a healthy selection of titles, including popular games like Angry Birds Showdown, Cut the Rope, Trivia Crack, and 8 Ball Billiards Classic, among others. The games are primarily designed to be an easy distraction to pass the time during a commute or to be played casually in between YouTube video watching sessions.

YouTube Mini Games were previously available only to Premium subscribers. They are now free for all users. The offer is available on desktop, Android, and iOS devices. No download is required.

Arcade Sling TV

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 allows viewers to play a variety of classic arcade games while simultaneously watching their favorite TV show or movie.

The game selection is currently limited, with just 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 ahead of popular sporting events.

When you’re watching a show or movie, tap the player and click “Interactive Features” to bring up the arcade. After you select a game, it will appear as a split-screen next to the content you’re watching, which is handy for those lazy TV days when you’re watching reruns of a reality TV show. 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 the moment: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Comcast, Samsung, and Vizio devices.

LinkedIn also offers games

The video game industry isn’t just about entertainment platforms. LinkedIn’s entry into the video game industry marks a significant expansion for the company, positioning it as more than just a professional networking platform.

In a bid to attract more users, LinkedIn announced in May that it was launching 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 designed to foster 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 per day.