Netflix’s latest game is a mobile take on Minesweeper

Netflix is launching Minesweeper as part of its selection of subscriber-only games, and it’s available now on Android and iOS.

The classic puzzle game that most people know from Microsoft Minesweeper, available in Windows 11 and versions dating back to 1990, has a fresh coat of paint with colorful graphics and new modes. Netflix’s take on Minesweeper looks a whole lot like, well, Minesweeper, but it adds a Journey Mode that takes players to different levels across world stages as well as unique daily challenges.

While searching out and flagging sea mines on a grid is a logic puzzle that’s often cloned in plenty of money-seeking cruft on the App Store and Play Store, Netflix subscribers will not find any in-game ads or microtransactions in the streaming giant’s new edition. Games may be far from the biggest reason subscribers come to Netflix, but the string of indie games, aged triple-A titles, and now Minesweeper’s S-tier idle time-killing abilities coming to the service continue Netflix’s attempts to maintain the stickiness of its service with subscribers.

Netflix isn’t the only one making a push into mobile and casual games, of course. Places as varied as The New York Times, LinkedIn, Apple Arcade, and Microsoft (by way of its ABK acquisition) are all driving hard into the space to bite off whatever piece can be chewed after Wordle proved just how sticky these kinds of experiences can be.