The best games on Netflix Games

We start with the one game that some are likely to recognize: Moonlighter. This indie hit came out much earlier on PC and consoles but has made its way onto your phone via Netflix Games. This is a beautiful pixel art game in which you play as Will, a shopkeeper in a town that needs to explore the dangerous dungeons to acquire the goods that you will then sell during the daytime hours. Half 2D Zelda-style adventure, with plenty of rogue-like elements, and half management sim, Moonlighter is a very charming game with hours upon hours of content to keep you coming back. However, thanks to the nature of the game being broken up into dungeon diving at night and managing your shop during the day, it is also perfect for more bite-sized play sessions too.

Poinpy will draw your eye thanks to an adorable art style, but once you start playing, you’ll be glued to your screen. This gem comes from the developer of Downwell, one of the all-time great phone games, so the team knows what makes an addictive mobile game. Unlike that last game, Poinpy simply asks you to navigate your character upward, aiming your jumps from platform to platform. It’s that simple to start with, but things quickly get more complex as new things to keep in mind and watch out for as you get higher and higher. If you know you’re a sucker for those games that make you say “just one more run” then Poinpy is a must-play.

Mini-golf games were some of the most popular back when Flash games were big, and while they’re arguably better than ever, for some reason aren’t quite as talked about. That shouldn’t be the case for Wonderputt Forever, which is an almost therapeutic experience. Everything from the perspective to the soundtrack, and even the *clock* sound of hitting the golf ball just evokes a chill vibe. There’s no pressure, only fun courses to putt your way through to see what cool new location you’re taken to next. Wonderputt Forever is as magical as you thought mini-golf courses were as a child, and it’s a joy to play through.

Based on the webcomic of the same name, Krispee Street takes the same concept that made adult coloring books a reality, only for those old Where’s Waldo? books. The art is the most important factor here, since looking at stuff is the whole idea of this game, and thankfully is amazing. Every inch of each spread is littered with personality, from the strange, yet joyful, creatures, to a pair of eyes on a fire hydrant. No inch of space feels like you’ve wasted your time looking there, even if you don’t find the object you’re hunting. You can play each level, earning coins as you go, play the daily challenges, or just load up zen mode and chill out playing for as long as you like. If Krispee Street can’t rekindle your childhood spirit, nothing will.

Aside from Snake and Tetris, one of the earliest games most people played on their phones was some sort of brick breaker. It’s no surprise why. All you need to do is move a paddle left or right to bounce a ball up until you’ve hit all the bricks above, kind of like a single-player Pong. Shatter Remastered takes that formula, but amps up the variety for a massive arcade experience. The core is obviously the same, but throw in different brick types, score multipliers, and other bonuses, and abilities you can use to redirect the ball, and suddenly things get a lot more engaging. Levels always add at least a bit of spice each time, and never ask for more than a couple of minutes of your time. This game won’t be one you want to play for hours on end, or likely even a single hour, but is excellent for when you’ve got a few minutes to kill and want something bright and exciting.

The exact opposite of bright and exciting, but amazing for other reasons, is This Is a True Story. While the title isn’t meant to be directly literal, it is certainly a story that many people have experienced in some form that is worth shining a light on. The entire game was created to raise awareness about the water crisis and focuses on Bontu, a woman on a journey to collect water for her family. While this isn’t something most people playing ever have to think twice about, this narrative puzzle game really helps depict how difficult it is for people in less fortunate parts of the world to even survive. This isn’t too much of a game as you might expect, but is still a powerful piece of art that may inspire you to help try and solve this terrible issue.

First-person shooters on mobile have come a long way but still fall far short of what you’d want if you were coming from a console with a controller. Into the Dead 2: Unleashed decides to go the more arcade route and put you on rails, much like a House of the Dead style game. Just like those arcade quarter munchers, the plot is threadbare in Into the Dead 2: Unleashed, but is focused on being more of a fun and satisfying trek through zombie-infested levels. It isn’t terribly hard, and by no means scary or innovative in anything going on, but is a fun way to spend an afternoon going through a linear zombie game without dumping a cup full of quarters into an arcade cabinet with a sticky plastic gun attached.

Another pixel art game that incorporates rogue-like elements, Relic Hunters: Rebels is much more of a throwback to classic SNES top-down shooters. You pick from one of four heroes, each with different abilities, and jump into levels to blast waves of enemies, level up, and fight bosses. While it may look like a simple shooter you can just turn your brain off for, and if you want to you certainly could and have a blast, the story is actually rather interesting if you decide to pay attention to it. Full of fun and quirky guns, bright enemies, and tons to unlock and craft, Relic Hunters: Rebels is a perfect match for gaming on the go without feeling watered down.

It’s a little visually confusing at first glance, but Hextech Mayhem is actually a rhythm game. You play as both Yordle and Ziggs as you help set off explosives at the right time, to the beat and as the character moves to the right position, to blast and bounce them over obstacles, defeat enemies, and solve small puzzles. Really, though, you don’t so much have to think about what you’re doing so long as you keep the beat and hit the buttons in time. The graphics are all 3D and animated with tons of character, such as buildings in the background bobbing along to the beat and enemies jiving along before you blow them to smithereens. Technically this is part of the League of Legends universe, but as Arcane proved, you don’t need to be a fan of that game to love what this one offers.

What better game to round out this list than a good old racer. Asphalt Xtreme is a looker on your phone, especially when you’re blasting through the environments at a hundred miles per hour. You can race in a large selection of cars, from monster trucks, buggies, and supercars across all types of environments. Every car can be customized and upgraded as well to make them feel more your own. If you’re playing alone, there’s a fun career mode to run through and over a hundred challenges to always give you something new to attempt. Or you can take the competition online and race with up to seven other players to see who can master the course and come out on top.

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