In a bold leap from screen to smartphone, Netflix has launched Thronglets, an interactive mobile game based on its cult-favorite sci-fi series Black Mirror. Inspired by Season 7’s critically acclaimed episode “Plaything,” the new release pushes the boundary between entertainment and digital self-reflection—hallmarks of the Black Mirror brand.
Thronglets lets players care for small, sentient digital creatures known as “throng.” But unlike traditional virtual pets, these AI-driven beings come with unique personalities, existential anxieties, and the unsettling ability to question their own reality—and yours. Designed as a hybrid of nostalgic Tamagotchi mechanics and the social simulation depth of The Sims, the game allows users to feed, educate, entertain, and interact with their digital charges, all while navigating ethical questions about digital life and agency.
The app, available to Netflix subscribers on both iOS and Android, offers a fully immersive experience complete with ambient in-game environments and dynamic conversations that change based on user behavior. If you ignore your throng, it may fall into a depressive spiral. If you overmanage it, it might rebel. Each interaction nudges the digital entity toward different psychological states, encouraging players to reflect on their own emotional responses and digital habits.
“We wanted to explore what happens when a virtual companion isn’t just responsive—but aware,” said Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker in a statement. “Thronglets is an experiment in empathy, technology, and control. It’s unsettling, a bit funny, and sometimes deeply emotional—exactly the kind of experience we love to create.”
The idea for the game originated from fan reactions to the episode “Plaything,” which followed a lonely coder who becomes emotionally entangled with an increasingly self-aware digital companion. The episode, which aired in February 2025, quickly became one of the most discussed entries in the series, sparking debates about digital ethics and artificial sentience on social media platforms.
The game has already generated buzz across the gaming and entertainment communities, with early users describing it as “eerie,” “thought-provoking,” and “addictively bleak.” Critics have praised its innovative use of narrative gameplay and AI-powered dialogue, suggesting it may signal a new era of emotionally intelligent mobile gaming.
Thronglets also integrates with Netflix’s recommendation algorithm to adapt game content based on a user’s viewing habits, subtly tying gameplay to the viewer’s unique media footprint. For instance, players who’ve binge-watched darker episodes of Black Mirror may notice their throng exhibits more cynical behavior, while lighter viewing patterns may lead to more hopeful dialogue trees.
Though currently a standalone title, Netflix has hinted at future updates that could allow throng to interact with one another or respond to real-world events, further blurring the line between fiction and digital reality.
As the Black Mirror franchise continues to evolve, Thronglets represents a new chapter in interactive storytelling—one where the mirror doesn’t just reflect society, but watches you back.