Did you know that if you have a Netflix subscription, you have access to a pretty fantastic library of games right now?
Over the past few years, Netflix’s gaming efforts have slowly paid off. The subscription service has built up a strong roster of both original games and modern classics that subscribers can play at no extra charge. If you haven’t checked the list of available games in a while, you might be surprised to see that you can play games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and Hades right now without spending any extra money.
In fact, Netflix has been especially busy this month. The service has added a handful of solid games new and old throughout May. If you’re looking for a new game to play this weekend but don’t feel like spending any money to do so, try these three games that you can download and play right now as long as you have a Netflix account.
Sonic Mania Plus
There have been a ton of Sonic the Hedgehog games released in the past few years. Some are good fun, like last year’s Sonic Dream Team. Others, like Sonic Frontiers, are a bit more polarizing. There’s one Sonic game that almost every fan of the series seems to agree on though: the excellent Sonic Mania Plus. This title is a faithful homage to the series’ Sega Genesis roots, making for a pixel perfect retro platformer with new levels and bosses that have the spirit of the old games. The version available with Netflix adds even more content to the mix, including new characters and Encore mode.
You can jump in right now on mobile devices so long as you have a Netflix subscription. Otherwise, you can play it on just about every modern platform, from PC to Nintendo Switch.
Paper Trail
While Sonic Mania Plus is available everywhere, one new Netflix standout this May is exclusive to the service. That would be Paper Trail, an original game by developer Newfangled Games that’s worth your attention.
The puzzle-adventure game is a clever mobile title that has players folding up levels like origami to navigate them. It’s a brain-busting puzzler filled with tactile gameplay. It just feels good to fold a level in half with a swipe and cross a seemingly impossible gap. Paper Trail joins a surprisingly solid list of Netflix exclusives, which includes greats like Poinpy and Laya’s Horizon.
Braid: Anniversary Edition
Braid is one of those games that you simply need to play at some point in your life. It’s a foundational title that helped set the stage for the rise of independent games and games as an elevated storytelling medium.
If you’ve yet to play it, Netflix has the best version of it available to download right now. Braid: Anniversary Edition freshens up the classic puzzle-platformer with updated graphics and behind-the-scenes featurettes that discuss its creation. Even if you don’t care too much about the bonus archival material, you’re getting a clever puzzle game with a time-control gimmick that still feels fresh by today’s standards.
Its creator, Jonathan Blow, may have turned into a controversial figure since the original game’s release, but that shouldn’t stop you from appreciating an important work that earned a re-release.
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