Netflix has made a surprising decision to cancel its Netflix Stories franchise, marking a significant shift away from its narrative-driven game series. Popular titles such as Love is Blind, Perfect Match, and Virgin River will still be available for players, but no new additions to the series will be forthcoming.
This business move, initially reported by our sibling site, is not just a corporate decision but also raises questions about the future direction of Netflix Games from a player's perspective. Initially, it appeared that Netflix was steering towards more narrative-driven games that could complement its television and film content. However, the abrupt halt of the Netflix Stories series suggests that this strategy is now abandoned, paving the way for potential new directions.
While I won't speculate on drastic changes like turning Netflix Games into a separate subscription service, it's clear that the performance of Netflix Stories, as highlighted by Craig on .biz, was not up to par compared to other popular releases like GTA: San Andreas and Squid Game Unleashed. This could lead to a pivot back to ports and more engaging, non-narrative games. Additionally, Paige from .biz mentioned that Netflix might be exploring party games to diversify its offerings. Fans of Jackbox games, take note—this was a topic Will and I discussed on the latest episode of the Pocket Gamer Podcast.
Despite these changes, there's still a wealth of games to explore. Check out our list of the top five new mobile games to try this week for more gaming options!
Someone will pay
