YouTube Expands Playables Library for All Users: Check Out These Free Games Now!

YouTube recently joined the growing list of companies with gaming efforts, launching its Playables program on both mobile and desktop. According to the latest updates, YouTube’s gaming “App Store” is becoming more widely available. The company said its lightweight, playable collection of free games will soon be available to all users in the YouTube app as well as on the YouTube desktop site. The games were made available for testing to a restricted group of users before being made available to YouTube Premium subscribers in November 2023.

YouTube Playables do not directly challenge the App Store model or violate Apple’s rules because they are not monetized through paid downloads or in-app purchases. However, they compete with free games from the App Store, which are frequently downloaded by casual players and earn cash through advertising. To start playing, go to YouTube’s website or Android/iOS app and look for Playables on the sidebar. YouTube will allow players to store their progress and track their high scores. There are over 75 games to choose from, from chess and crossword puzzles to popular casual mobile apps like Angry Birds Showdown!, Cut the Rope and Trivia Crack.

“Playable is a fun, interactive way to experience YouTube — with light, fun games like Angry Birds Showdown, Words of Wonders, Cut the Rope, Tomb of the Mask, Trivia Crack, you can play right now,” YouTube Blog Reads the post.

Last year, YouTube made its first foray into gaming by offering Playables to its premium users. It had significantly fewer games in its original phase and was only available for a short period, which ended in March this year. One of the most common strategies used by IT companies to attract or retain members is offering a selection of casual games. Recently, LinkedIn launched its game selection, which looks rather fun. Hearst, Netflix and The New York Times all include sports in their regular offerings. In 2019, Google, the parent company of YouTube, entered the gaming industry by launching the Google Stadia cloud gaming subscription service. In 2023, a little more than three years have passed since Google shut down Stadia.