Netflix, a CNET Editors’ Choice Award pick, is planning to add five games — including the anniversary edition of an award-winning title — to its growing game library in May. Netflix is virtually synonymous with streaming movies and TV shows, such as Black Mirror and Stranger Things, but your subscription also gives you access to mobile games you can play on your iOS or Android device. If you subscribe to Netflix (which starts at $7 a month), you can play these games and many more without ads or in-app purchases at no additional charge.
Here are the titles Netflix is adding to its games library in May. You can also check out other titles available through Netflix Games.
Braid Anniversary Edition
Available now.
Braid winds back the clock and lands on Netflix Games 15 years after its initial release. Jonathan Blow’s award-winning indie title explores memories, regrets and relationships across 40 levels, one of which is exclusive to Netflix.
“Braid is remastered with sharper visuals and storytelling, along with new levels to explore,” Netflix wrote online. “The Anniversary Edition also includes developer commentary from the creator [Jonathan Blow] himself, which adds more context to Braid’s world and additional insight into the making of the game.”
Sonic Mania Plus
Available now.
What’s old is new again in Sonic Mania Plus. This Sonic title features classic pixel graphics and some beloved Sonic zones from past titles, like the Green Hill Zone, as well as all new levels and enemies to tackle. You can play as the blue speedster himself, or as Tails, Knuckles or two new characters, Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel.
Paper Trail
Available now.
This cozy top-down puzzle game is like a pop-up book brought to life. In this title, you set off from your home for the first time to explore the world, as a budding academic, and you get around and solve puzzles by folding the world around you like it’s made of paper. You’ll uncover secrets, explore new areas and meet memorable characters along the way, too.
Katana Zero
Available now.
Slash and dash, and control time, in this neon-drenched action platformer. You play as an assassin with amnesia who can rewind the clock. As the game progresses, you uncover more of your past through flashbacks, until you learn a dark truth about the world around you.
Netflix Stories: Virgin River
Available: May 29.
In this title, you’ll find romance, friends and serenity as you turn yourself into the main character of the Netflix series Virgin River. You can interact with your favorite characters from the show — like John “Preacher” Middleton — visit popular locations and find whatever you think is missing from your life.
Here’s how you can access games in Netflix’s library
1. Download the Netflix app onto your iPhone, iPad or Android device.
2. Open the Netflix app and sign in to your account.
3. Tap Home across the bottom of your screen.
4. Scroll down your homepage until you see the Mobile Games carousel.
5. Tap into a game to learn more about it.
6. Tap Get Game to download a game you’re interested in.
You can also search for games in the Netflix app by tapping the magnifying glass in the top right corner of the app and entering the title of the game.
An additional pop-up from either Apple’s App Store or the Google Play store will open, asking if you want to download the game. After you’ve confirmed that action, the game will start downloading on your device, like other apps.
For more on Netflix games, here’s what to know about Hades and the Grand Theft Auto titles on the service. You can also check out the latest and upcoming titles on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Apple Arcade and Crunchyroll Game Vault.
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