There’s no denying Netflix’s quality when it comes to mobile gaming. In the two years or so since it began pursuing the mobile market, it’s added a couple of iconic titles to its catalogue. Those include Tomb Raider, GTA, Hades and soon, Braid, Anniversary Edition. That’s just one of the five new games hitting the Netflix carousel this May. It looks like a good month for mobile gamers.
Joining in on the fun isn’t free, though. First, you’ll need one of Netflix’s several subscription tiers (any will do) before you can hop into May’s highlights: Sonic Mania Plus and Braid, Anniversary Edition. They’ll be joined by Katana Zero, Paper Trail and Netflix Stores: Virgin River which looks to be the weakest of the lot.
We’re only here for Braid, Netflix
We’ve been singing Braid’s praises from the rooftops for months now. Not nearly enough people experienced Jonathan Blow’s deep, time-twisting puzzler when it first landed in 2008. This is your time to correct that mistake, with the Anniversary Edition of the game which includes “hand-repainted graphics”, better sound and 15+ hours worth of commentary featuring some of the game’s creators. You’ll be able to dive in on 14 May.
Sonic Mania Plus needs little introduction. It features the titular speedy blue hedgehog, along with Tails and Knuckles, as they speed through Green Hills and all the rest collecting coins and saving the world. Originally released in 2018 as a modernised version of the classic game, Sonic Mania Plus takes that expansion even further and is already available on Netflix as of Tuesday, 7 May.
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We’ve yet to try out Paper Trail, but if the trailer is anything to go by, that’ll be changing soon. It’s described as a “cosy top-down puzzle adventure” and won Best Mobile Game at the Taipei Game Show when it launched in 2022. You’ll fold environments together as Paige, the game’s protagonist, leaves home for the first time in pursuit of her studies, wrapped up in some gorgeous graphics. It’s hitting Netflix on 21 May.
Katana Zero doesn’t have an official release date just yet, though we know it’s arriving before May is over. It puts players in the shoes of a samurai assassin named Subject Zero who has… amnesia… and must hack ‘n slash his way through this 16-bit “pixel art neo-noir platformer.” There looks to be a story there too, which players can affect depending on the dialogue options you choose.