YouTube Rolls Out Free Games ‘Playables’ To All Users
LinkedIn launched games like Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb on its platform back in April. YouTube is the latest company to introduce mobile games that are available outside of the App Store. The company announced the official launch of “Playables” in the YouTube app.
What are “Playables” in the YouTube app?
According to the company, Playables are free games that can be played on the YouTube website or in the YouTube app for iPhone and iPad. There are more than 75 games available, including Angry Birds Showdown and Cut the Rope.
YouTube is prioritizing “lightweight, entertaining games,” which means many of the available options are designed for short play sessions, unlike the longer games typically found on the App Store. Progress in these games is saved, and YouTube also records all-time best scores.
How to find the games:
Head to the main YouTube Home page, either on the desktop or the iOS and Android app, and find Playables from the Explore menu. Then, choose from 75+ games and jump right in! You can even share the game with friends by tapping the three-dot “more” menu. You can also save your game progress and track your all-time best scores.
Playables have been available for a few users in select markets as the company has tested the feature. It began getting into gaming last year, offering Playables to YouTube Premium subscribers. A report from The Verge mentioned that the initial phase had fewer games and was only around for a limited amount of time, wrapping up in March of this year.
But now, the games are rolling out to everyone and are more widely available. Playables can be accessed in the iOS app by going to the Explore menu and choosing the Playables section.
TechCrunch reported that the company doesn’t monetize as paid downloads or via in-app purchases, YouTube’s Playables don’t directly challenge the app store model or break Apple’s rules. But they do compete with the App Store’s free games, which are often downloaded by casual gamers and generate revenue through ads.
It seems like many companies are getting into gaming these days. Since 2021, Netflix has provided a variety of in-app games and has recently begun testing games on Apple TV as well. Similarly, other companies, such as The New York Times, offer games like Wordle and Spelling Bee.
Even YouTube’s parent company, Google, tried its hand at gaming in 2019 with the Google Stadia cloud gaming subscription service. After a little more than three years, Google shut Stadia down in 2023.
