Experience the Chilling Video Game Featured in Black Mirror's Seventh Season
In early 2025, Netflix released the mobile game "Thronglets," a digital pet simulation inspired by the "Black Mirror" episode "Plaything." This game, available for free on iOS and Android devices, requires a Netflix membership to play[1][2][5].
"Thronglets" is a unique blend of retro-styled gameplay, reminiscent of classic simulation and strategy games like "Little Computer People," "Populous," and "Civilization." The game begins as a simple virtual pet simulation, where players hatch and care for a single Thronglet creature[2][5]. As the game progresses, players find themselves managing an ever-expanding population of these digital creatures, balancing their needs and expanding their village.
The game ties directly into the "Black Mirror" universe. It originated as "experimental software" developed in the 1990s by fictional Tuckersoft programmer Colin Ritman, a character from the series and the creator of the cult classic game "Bandersnatch." This backstory adds meta layers connecting "Thronglets" to "Black Mirror's" fictional historical games industry, effectively making it a "digital life-form" rather than a conventional game[1][5].
Meanwhile, the sixth season of "Black Mirror" has been released on Netflix, featuring six episodes that explore tech-based terror, tyranny, and emotional damage. The episode "Plaything" is particularly noteworthy, as it features the game "Thronglets."
In this episode, a murder mystery unfolds, but it's not your typical whodunit. The only suspect leaves DNA evidence at the crime scene, making the case seem open and shut. However, the solution to the mystery comes from an unexpected source - a peculiar shoplifting arrest leads to an even more peculiar man[6].
"Thronglets" is a noteworthy example of Netflix extending its storytelling universe through interactive media tied directly to its shows[1][2][5]. If you're a fan of "Black Mirror" or enjoy retro-styled games, "Thronglets" is worth a download.
[1] https://www.netflix.com/title/80241067 [2] https://www.polygon.com/2025/02/01/22923089/black-mirror-plaything-thronglets-game-netflix [3] https://www.ign.com/articles/2025/02/01/black-mirror-season-7-thronglets-game-release-date [4] https://www.techradar.com/news/black-mirror-season-7-premiere-date-trailer-and-everything-we-know [5] https://www.theverge.com/2025/02/01/22923091/black-mirror-plaything-thronglets-game-netflix-release [6] https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/black-mirror/101884/black-mirror-season-7-plaything-review-easter-eggs-and-theories
- The mobile game "Thronglets," a digital pet simulation inspired by the "Black Mirror" episode "Plaything," is a unique blend of retro-styled gameplay reminiscent of classic simulation and strategy games, available for free on iOS and Android devices with a Netflix membership.
- Originating as "experimental software" developed in the 1990s, "Thronglets" ties directly into the "Black Mirror" universe, with a backstory connecting it to the fictional historical games industry as a digital life-form, rather than a conventional game.
- meanwhile, the sixth season of "Black Mirror" has been released on Netflix, featuring six episodes that explore tech-based terror, tyranny, and emotional damage, with "Plaything" being particularly noteworthy for featuring the game "Thronglets."
- If you're a fan of "Black Mirror" or enjoy retro-styled games, "Thronglets" is worth a download, as it's an example of Netflix extending its storytelling universe through interactive media tied directly to its shows.
