Reality show contestants are fiercely protective of how they look on screen. For Chloe Veitch, one of the breakout stars of Netflixâs risque dating series âToo Hot to Handle,â that kind of intense image control now includes her appearance as a digital character in the companyâs mobile video games.
Her digital avatar is prominently featured in a series of Netflix games based on the streaming giantâs reality programs, including âToo Hot to Handle,â in which scantily clad contestants must form romantic connections while being penalized for getting frisky. Her animated persona appears as a âlove guruâ guiding players through the gaming experience.
âThe game version of me is almost identical,â Veitch said in an interview, noting that the game designers painstakingly copied her multiple tattoos. âObviously it doesnât get spots, it doesnât have hormone imbalances, so Iâm quite jealous, to be honest with you.â
She added, âIâve said to the team when we were first developing me into the game â you need to make sure my boobs look big.â
The reality-show-inspired games are part of Netflixâs growing library of mobile-only interactive offerings, which are available to the streaming serviceâs subscribers.
The companyâs gaming service has about 100 titles, including 13 that are based on Netflix original programs. The Los Gatos, Calif., streamer hopes that by providing these ad-free games for users, it will increase the amount of time people spend with the service. Itâs also looking to use its gaming operation to promote its programming and prevent subscriber âchurn,â or cancellations.
Netflix on Thursday announced four new additions to its gaming roster: âNetflix Stories: Perfect Match,â âNetflix Stories: Selling Sunset,â âToo Hot to Handle 3â and âThe Ultimatum: Choices,â all based on the companyâs reality programs. The games will launch in tandem with new seasons of the shows.
The idea is that by offering games on smartphones, Netflix can keep viewers engaged even between seasons of such popular shows as âToo Hot to Handle,â âSelling Sunsetâ and âLove is Blind,â increasing the likelihood that theyâll tune in again.
âIt is that amplification effect that if you love the show or you love the game, there is another iteration for you to immerse yourself in, to enjoy that world,â said Brandon Riegg, Netflixâs vice president of nonfiction series.
In the games, players get to design their own characters and take part in choose-your-own adventure-style stories. The outcomes can be as racy as a romance novel. With the âToo Hot to Handleâ games, for example, players must choose whether to stay chaste with the other animated contestants or break the rules by making out or having sex in a suite.
Netflix has not released numbers to gauge the performance of its games business. But third-party data suggest reality-show-based games have performed well for Netflix. âToo Hot to Handle: Love is a Game,â released in 2022, had an estimated 5.9 million installs, ranking it as the fourth most popular Netflix mobile game since November 2021, according to data firm Appfigures.
âThese will be great hooks to draw in new users but also can be a great incentive to prevent losing users,â said Randy Nelson, head of insights at Appfigures. âIt keeps them in that Netflix world longer, and theyâre exposed to more Netflix content. In the long run, this will be a pretty big positive for Netflix.â
Netflix began acquiring game studios in 2021 as it expanded into the popular entertainment medium. The company has released titles based on its original programs, as well as offerings from the studios it acquired. It also licenses from other firms to make games based on franchises such as âGrand Theft Auto.â Since inception, Netflix games have achieved 119 million downloads, Appfigures estimates.
Netflix declined to comment on third-party download figures. In a January earnings presentation, Netflix co-Chief Executive Greg Peters said the company had âtripled game engagement over the last year.â Netflix games remain a small part of the companyâs overall business, which has 270 million subscribers globally.
Subscribers have spent hours playing the reality-show-based games, Netflix executives told The Times. As with the shows themselves, the games tend to attract a female audience.
In some cases, players first discover the games and then later watch the reality series they are based on. In other cases, fans of the show pick up the games.
âGames can fuel fandom, but they can also create it,â said Sarah Springwater, director of story for Netflix Stories, the library of interactive fiction games based on the companyâs programs.
The stories in games like âToo Hot to Handle 3â and âThe Ultimatum: Choicesâ branch out depending on the decisions players make. Those games have more than 15 possibly endings. That gives players room to explore and stay engaged for longer, said Leanne Loombe, who leads external game development for Netflix.
âThe thing with games is that they definitely allow you to engage over the longer period of time, and thatâs the opportunity that we see,â Loombe said.