To adhere to Apple’s App Store guidelines, the YouTube app cannot directly compete with the App Store by selling apps or games. As a workaround, Google’s YouTube has introduced free games within the app itself. This limited approach falls short of challenging even the free games available on the App Store. Essentially, Playables operates like web-based gaming sites, reminiscent of platforms like AddictingGames.com, rather than offering a compelling app-based experience.
Some of the well-crafted games, such as Tomb of the Mask, allow users to save progress, while others reset each time the game is launched on Playables. Certain games are optimized for keyboard inputs, forcing users to switch between trackpad and mouse controls.
Beyond notable titles like Tomb of the Mask, Angry Birds Showdown, and Cut the Rope, the Playables library comprises a plethora of lower-quality games that are not particularly enjoyable on desktop or mobile. Examples of these less refined games include Draw Climber, Lunch Box Ready, and Color Match. On the mobile app, the experience is further hampered by an interface that truncates about a tenth of the screen, with no full-screen mode available. The browser version’s full-screen option merely enlarges the browser window, rather than just the game area, mimicking the YouTube video experience.
While YouTube’s initiative to make some games accessible and ad-free in a browser environment is commendable — evoking a nostalgic return to mid-2000s computer labs — the effort seems more like a strategic move by Google to remind Apple of its presence in the digital games marketplace rather than a genuine attempt to benefit players. Although Tomb of the Mask may attract some users to YouTube’s web version, the mobile app version’s lack of fluidity and the fact that it’s freely available on the App Store discourage dedicated users from shifting.
In terms of usability, the Playables interface has significant room for improvement. Currently, users can filter games by “Home,” showcasing previously played games, and “Browse,” listing all games alphabetically. Searching for a specific game via the YouTube search bar proves cumbersome, as users must sift through multiple rows of videos and ads before finding the Playables section.
These issues, coupled with a lackluster game selection, highlight a broader problem that has historically plagued the Google Play Store: poor curation. Although both the Play Store and the App Store suffer from an influx of low-quality games, Apple’s stringent app approval process — especially regarding privacy and data collection — often results in a more polished selection. Consequently, high-production-value games, backed by more resourced teams, are more likely to appear on both marketplaces, while lower-budget, quickly developed games tend to saturate the Play Store.
Expectations are that YouTube will expand its Playables library in the upcoming months, potentially addressing some of these early criticisms. There is particular interest in whether YouTube will debut original games, which could provide a stronger incentive for users to invest time in the platform. While Playables may be a clever method to introduce Google Play Store games to iPhone users, it’s unlikely to significantly influence the industry in its current iteration.
