Netflix is expanding its TV gaming lineup with Unhinged, a new horror game that turns a viewer’s phone into part of the experience.
The game is set to launch June 30 on Netflix and comes from Night School Studio, the developer best known for Oxenfree. Instead of asking players to use a console controller, Unhinged uses the same idea Netflix has been testing with TV games: players connect a phone or tablet and use it as the controller. Netflix says its TV games work by scanning a QR code on the screen, and physical gamepads are not supported at this time.
Unhinged follows Ava, a young woman trapped inside her apartment building during a storm while a killer is nearby. The game is played from a first-person view, but it does not work like a traditional survival horror title. Players are not managing weapons, aiming, or moving freely through every hallway. Instead, they make quick choices, point a flashlight, answer calls, and decide where Ava should go next.
The setup makes the game easier for casual players to understand. It also fits Netflix’s bigger challenge with gaming. Many Netflix subscribers may watch movies, series, documentaries, or reality shows every week, but that does not mean they are comfortable with complex game controls. Unhinged tries to meet those players halfway by making the experience feel closer to an interactive thriller than a full console game.
The most interesting part of Unhinged is how the phone is used. In the game, the player’s phone acts like Ava’s phone. It can be used as a flashlight, a way to find objects, and a way to receive calls from other characters. That makes the phone more than a simple controller: It becomes part of the fear. A phone is something most viewers already have nearby while watching TV.
Netflix has spent years trying to make games part of its subscription service. At first, many of those games were played on mobile devices. More recently, the company has pushed games that can be played on TVs and computers, with phones or tablets used as controllers.
Unhinged is different because it is not just a party game or trivia-style experience. It is a short horror story meant to be played in one sitting. According to The Verge, the game lasts less than an hour and features voice performances from Zoë Kravitz, Sadie Sink, and Troy Baker.
A Netflix user may not want to commit 40 hours to a game, but they may be willing to try something that feels like watching a scary episode with a little control over what happens next.
Even though only one person controls the action, Unhinged could still work as a group experience. Horror is already a genre people often watch together, and quick decisions can turn the room into part of the fun. Friends or family members can shout directions, react to scares, and argue over what choice to make.
Netflix is testing whether a streaming service can make gaming feel simple, social, and easy to start. If it works, Netflix may have found another way to bring games to people who do not think of themselves as gamers.
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