Netflix is pulling the plug on its “Netflix Stories” interactive fiction games, which focused on romance and dating-themed series. Instead, the company is shifting gears to focus on mobile games, including party games, narrative-driven titles, kids’ games, and mainstream hits. Netflix is also looking to expand into TV-compatible gaming. According to Variety, this transition caused some layoffs at the “Netflix Stories” division.
The “Netflix Stories” franchise featured interactive games based on popular Netflix series like Virgin River, Love is Blind, Emily in Paris, Outer Banks, and Perfect Match. The most recent release, a game based on Sweet Magnolias, launched in February. However, a planned title based on Ginny & Georgia has now been scrapped. While no new Netflix Stories games will be developed, the existing ones will remain available on the platform.
This change in strategy follows Alain Tascan’s appointment as Netflix’s president of games in mid-2024. Under his leadership, the company is focusing on bigger gaming experiences instead of continuing with interactive fiction.
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) on March 19, Tascan shared Netflix’s vision for gaming but didn’t specifically bring up the end of Netflix Stories. He stressed that Netflix’s gaming efforts need to align with its overall mission, saying, “We have to match the overall mission of Netflix — otherwise we’re just a distraction.”
Netflix has been tweaking its gaming plans over the past year. In October 2024, the company shut down Team Blue, a studio working on a high-profile shooter game. Earlier in February, they canceled six upcoming games from its schedule, including a highly anticipated Lord of the Rings title. Night School Studio, the developer behind Oxenfree, hits with layoffs, while former VP of Games Mike Verdu departed from the company last week.
However, Netflix isn’t stepping away from gaming. At GDC, they unveiled Spirit Crossing, its first massively multiplayer online (MMO) game from its Spry Fox studio, featuring a fantasy world with a Studio Ghibli-inspired aesthetic. Tascan also talked about Netflix’s plans to integrate its hit shows into gaming, mentioning a mobile game based on Squid Game and other interactive projects tied to franchises like Bridgerton.
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