# Netflix’s games strategy might be a mess, but Oxenfree studio’s ingenious new chiller-thriller shows it has a secret weapon

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/netflixs-games-strategy-might-be-a-mess-but-oxenfree-studios-ingenious-new-chiller-thriller-shows-it-has-a-secret-weapon/
- Published: 2026-07-18T09:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-18T10:14:41+00:00
- Original publisher: Eurogamer
- Original article: https://www.eurogamer.net/netflixs-games-strategy-might-be-a-mess-but-oxenfree-studios-ingenious-new-chiller-thriller-shows-it-has-a-secret-weapon
- Topics: Americas, Business, Entertainment, TV

## Key points

- Netflix released Unhinged, a horror game from Oxenfree studio Night School.
- The game uses players' real phones as an in-game prop.
- It shows a creative strength despite Netflix's messy gaming strategy overall.

## Summary

Netflix has released Unhinged, a first-person horror game from Oxenfree developer Night School Studio, which uses players' own smartphones as an in-game prop to blur the line between the fictional story and reality. Although Netflix's broader video game strategy has often appeared unfocused, this title demonstrates a genuine creative strength: cleverly integrating mobile devices into gameplay to heighten immersion, echoing similar fourth-wall-breaking tricks seen in games like No More Heroes.

In Unhinged, players scan a QR code to link their real phone to that of protagonist Ava, receiving in-character calls and texts from characters such as her anxious friend Claire, an elderly neighbour and a suspicious superintendent, all while navigating a darkened apartment during a storm and power cut using their phone's gyroscope as a control method. The story, centred on a woman isolated during a blackout who becomes aware she is being watched, escalates from atmospheric dread into a fast-paced thriller, with the game praised for its economical world-building and effective use of technology to enhance tension.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.