YouTube Expands Playables, its Catalog of Free Games, to All Users

YouTube has announced the widespread rollout of Playables, its collection of lightweight, free games, to all users. This expansion follows initial testing with select users and YouTube Premium subscribers in November last year.

Playables will now be accessible not only on the YouTube Home page but also within the YouTube app.

While Playables competes with free games on the App Store, which generate revenue through advertisements, it does not challenge the app store model or violate Apple’s rules since it does not monetize through paid downloads or in-app purchases.

However, the introduction of free games on YouTube may potentially create another platform for advertisements in the future, although Google has not indicated plans to monetize Playables at this time.

The primary objective of Playables is to engage users between browsing and viewing sessions, keeping them invested in the YouTube app. The catalog features a diverse range of popular titles, including Angry Birds Showdown, Words of Wonders, Cut the Rope, Tomb of the Mask, and Trivia Crack, among others.

Additionally, it includes games like Stack Bounce, which was previously offered on Google’s HTML minigames service, and GameSnacks, developed through Google’s internal incubator, Area 120. The goal of GameSnacks was to bring gaming to users in emerging markets, where Android dominates.

Currently, the Playables catalog boasts over 75 minigames, with players able to save their game progress and track their all-time best scores. The feature is expected to complete its rollout to all users in the coming weeks.

YouTube’s expansion into gaming follows similar moves by other tech giants, such as Netflix, which has been growing its game catalog through acquisitions, licensing deals, and in-house game development.

Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, is also exploring new opportunities in the gaming market, leveraging new EU regulations to bring its games store to European users. Furthermore, unexpected companies like LinkedIn are delving into games as well, highlighting the trend of companies using games to bypass App Store commissions and boost their bottom lines.