Netflix just dropped a new reason to yell at your friends in the living room. Netflix is a Joke Presents: Gifted is an 18+ social party game built entirely around making terrible memes. It’s launched exclusively on TV and web browsers through Netflix Cloud Gaming. You don’t need a console or even a traditional gamepad to get started.
The game operates directly on your television or browser. And, you use your smartphone as the controller to submit answers and vote on the funniest GIF. If you have a group chat that belongs in a quarantine zone, this is exactly the kind of game you want for your next night in.
Ditching the Gamepad for Smartphones
Developed internally by Netflix’s IS3 studio in collaboration with GIPHY, Netflix is a Joke Presents: Gifted supports up to nine people at once. The premise is ridiculously simple. The game throws prompts at the room. Everyone digs through a massive library of GIFs, from the “This is Fine” dog to Hide the Pain Harold, to find the perfect reaction. The game then pairs the answers into head-to-head matchups on the big screen, and everyone votes on the winner.
To play, everyone just needs to download the Netflix Game Controller app on their phone. Your phone becomes your secret weapon for submitting those captions and crowning the meme champion of the group. The barrier to entry is completely gone. I watched someone who hasn’t touched a controller since the Super Nintendo grab a phone for a similar party game and immediately start winning rounds. Removing the awkward pauses that usually stall the mood when explaining button layouts means you get right to the actual fun. It’s a smart way to handle party games, especially for non-gamers. Just make sure everyone has their phones fully charged before you start.
What This Means for Netflix’s Cloud Push
Netflix keeping this off the traditional app stores. And, launching it exclusively on TV and web browsers tells us exactly where their head is at. They want you treating your television like an actual gaming machine, and the cloud is how they get there. Netflix is a Joke Presents: Gifted sits alongside recent additions like The Jackbox Party Essentials in a growing library of living room-focused games.
Because it is cloud gaming, you skip the install process entirely. Open the Netflix app on your TV, navigate to the games row, and start it up. Netflix producer May Garcia noted the game was built alongside Netflix’s comedy teams. Launching it just in time for the Netflix is a Joke festival. If you’re looking for a quick game to play, Netflix is a Joke Presents: Gifted is live right now.
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