Netflix takes over developer of adventure game Oxenfree

Night School Studios, the developer of the indie game Oxenfree, has been acquired by Netflix. The company is now going to develop games for the streaming platform. The studio says it will continue to work on the already announced sequel to Oxenfree.

Night School Studios is the first game studio to acquire Netflix. According to Night School Studios, Netflix makes it possible for game studios to target millions of people with entertainment, just as it does for TV and film. Because the former indie developer focuses on story games, the company says it fits well with Netflix.

Earlier, Netflix reported that it would focus more on games. The studio was testing mobile games in Poland last month, which can then be downloaded via the Netflix app, but with this acquisition it seems that games will also be developed specifically for the service. It has not been announced when Netflix will offer its own games on the service, and whether those games will also be playable in other places.

Netflix has already released two games based on the Netflix Original series Stranger Things. The first is only available for mobile devices, but the sequel also came out on PC and consoles. These two games were also available for download at the aforementioned test in Poland.

Night School Studios has released four games since its inception in 2014, the best known of which is Oxenfree from 2016. The story plays a big role in that game, so there are different endings depending on the narrative choices players make. The studio is currently working on Oxenfree II: Lost Signal. Night School emphasizes in the announcement that the Netflix acquisition will not affect the development of that game.

Night School Studio’s adventure game Oxenfree