YouTube Playables adds in-app games, Kongregate style
Angry Birds, Solitaire, Om Nom Run, and Hurdle are amongst the games now available on the video app as YouTube Playables.
Were you looking for more things to distract you from whatever it is you need to get done? If you’ve finally managed to wrench yourself away from watching YouTube Shorts, get a few rounds of Angry Birds in before exiting the app on YouTube Playables.
The new feature has just dropped for YouTube Premium users. Users can opt-in from their settings in the YouTube app. Once you’ve greenlit YouTube Playables, you’ll find games appear in your Home feed.
The games load straight away in the app and play within it, no download required. As such, they’re all flash-type games like simple word games and old-school Peggle type jams. YouTube Playables are available in-browser for Premium users who opt-in as well.
Whether simple flash-like games like The Daily Crossword and Daily Solitaire will draw in YouTube’s generally younger crowd, we don’t know. That’s why YouTube are testing the results. YouTube Playables will be available until March 28th, 2024. Presumably, after that they will either expand the feature or retire it if it’s found to be unused.
It’s reminiscent of Facebook’s move years ago, introducing simple games into their social media platform. Seven years down the line and they’re still expanding upon it, becoming a popular source of simple browser-based games and mobile flash-like games.
YouTube haven’t spoken much on the feature. We don’t know whether they’re looking to bolster the Premium experience to encourage new users to sign up and satisfy those who’ve had their prices risen recently. We also don’t know whether there is a possibility that YouTube Playables will come to free users at any point in the future.
To activate YouTube Playables on the mobile app, head to the ‘You‘ panel on the right. Scroll down to ‘Your Premium benefits‘ and then click on ‘Try experimental new features‘. In here, you’ll have the option to activate games on YouTube.
Find Playables by through Home until the shelf appears.