5 International Netflix Shows Game Developers Should Pick Up

Netflix shows have been a huge part of our world for years now, particularly last year, what with the pandemic crunching down on our options for outdoor entertainment. But on the bright side, that's given us plenty of time to soak up the few remaining episodes of older series, as well as discover new shows to binge without feeling incredibly guilty about it.

A few months back we covered a few Netflix shows that we personally thought would make for killer video games, with Telltale being the flagship studio to develop such worlds. Today, we're broadening our horizon, putting the scope on the entire library and inviting all game developers to step up and recreate the following five. Now, whether they'll ever come to fulfilment is another question, though if you never ask — then you never get. So with that said — here are the five Netflix series that we think would make awesome video game adaptations.

5. The Haunting of Hill House

If you happened to combine the cancelled Silent Hills game with Resident Evil 7, and then throw in the manor and characters from The Haunting of Hill House — then you'll essentially have an award-winning game on your hands. Think Among The Sleep, but with a much darker tone, and multiple story arcs and unique nightmares to face. That's video game material right there.

The Haunting of Hill House does something not many other shows can pull off. It builds on a spool of story arcs, and yet somehow keeps each one just as compelling as the next, with every fear unique in its own way. And if that same magic were to be implemented in a video game, then you've basically got a solid four or five campaigns, a terrifying manor — and a boatload of nightmarish foes. Talk about a survival horror gold mine.

4. Sweet Home

A Netflix show that is worth glossing over is Sweet Home, a Korean survival horror series that launched less than nine months ago. Since then, the series has gone on to crack 22 million streams and even break into Netflix's official Top 10, becoming the first in Korean history to do so. And if that's isn't enough to inspire a game developer to pick it up and give it a whirl, then heck, I don't know what is.

On the surface, Sweet Home is a pretty simple concept. Teens spiral into monsters, monsters attack the teens, remaining teens fend them off and live to fight another day. And while that does make up the bulk of the story, there are a few underlying obstacles that play smaller roles along the way. Sweet Home subtly focuses on human connection and what it takes to survive as a close-knit community, regardless of the differences that tip the scale. And if there's one thing a video game developer knows how to do — it's build compelling character arcs. Hint hint.

3. 3%

Brazilian Original 3% narrows its scope on a dystopian setting, in which the troubled popularity have one chance of redeeming a quality life on an island paradise known as The Offshore, where only (you guessed it) 3% are able to call home. In order to snag a pass to the lavish lifestyle, residents must first battle through a thread of tasks, both physical and mental. Oh, and the opportunity to beat the tasks only gets handed out once a year…and only to twenty-year-olds at that.

Looking at 3%, in a nutshell, we can see why the show would make a pretty exciting video game. The world is there, as are the tasks and the mapped-out backstories for each of the characters. Of course, there's plenty of room for growth with a show like 3%, and most definitely a selection of paths a video game could venture down if given the chance.

2. Squid Game

Taking the world by storm as of late, Korean hit show Squid Game has amassed some of the biggest numbers ever seen on the streaming platform. With a secure spot in the charts all over the globe, the survival horror episodic extravaganza has drawn eyes like moths to a lighthouse. And now, with half the world on tenterhooks over the future of the series, Siren Pictures can maneuver in any direction that takes their fancy. With a master key in hand and an abundance of unlockable doors — Squid Game clearly has the world sitting contently in its hands.

But let's talk video games. Clearly, Netflix's Squid Game was meant to be one at some stage or another. After all, the series is based on a selection of games, as well as human connection and the art of betrayal. All of this can quite easily be explored through a mixture of strategy, beat 'em up, and choice-based gameplay. Which gang will you link with to help get you through the games? Every choice counts, and every successful approach puts you one step closer to that life-changing sum of money. Can you outlast the other 455 Players in Squid Game?

1. Alice in Borderland

Another fantastic addition to the Netflix portfolio is the Japanese series Alice in Borderland. Similar to Squid Game, though on a much larged scale and with the whole of Tokyo playing into the setting — the series focuses on an enormous population of trapped citizens, all of whom must participate in a series of games in order to return to the real world outside of the simulation they find themselves trapped within.

From childhood games like Hide & Seek, only with the seeker being in possession of firearms, to Tag, where the players battle the clock and fight for the tagger title before death falls upon those without it. The games are endless, and they all contribute towards a much deeper meaning. A meaning that, under a special set of hands, could be expanded on with something like a video game. Just a thought.

So, what did we miss? Would you play any of the above shows if picked up by a developer? What Netflix series would you want to play through? Let us know over on our socials here.

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