YouTube launches free, ad-free games to rival App Store

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In a move that screams “we want your eyeballs and thumbs at all costs,” YouTube is rolling out its collection of lightweight, free games – dubbed “Playables” – to all users.

These bite-sized games, which don’t require downloads or in-app purchases, won’t directly challenge the app store model (so no angry letters from Apple… yet).

But they do compete with the App Store’s free games, which are often downloaded by casual gamers looking to kill a few minutes (and generate revenue via ads).

While Google hasn’t signaled plans to monetize Playables just yet, the games could become another avenue for ads down the line. Think about it: free games = more eyeballs on YouTube = more ad revenue potential. Sneaky, Google, sneaky.

The Playables lineup includes a mix of popular titles and some from Google’s own gaming experiments. Right now, there are over 75 mini-games in the catalog, with more on the way.

Players can save their progress and track their all-time best scores because, let’s be real, a little friendly competition never hurts anyone.

YouTube isn’t the only tech giant getting its game on. Netflix is expanding its own game catalog, Epic Games is trying to bring its store to Europe, and even LinkedIn is… wait, what?

Yeah, even LinkedIn is getting into gaming. It’s all about finding ways to keep you engaged (and avoid those pesky App Store commissions).

So the next time you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through YouTube, don’t be surprised when a game of Cut the Rope catches your eye. Your productivity (and your willpower) have been warned.

If you’re looking to get a jump on YouTube’s playable, you can find them on the Playables shelf on the main YouTube Home page or on the new Playables destination page which is reachable from the Explore menu.

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Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.