Professional networking platform LinkedIn is venturing into puzzle-based games to boost the time people are spending on the platform, according to a TechCrunch report.
The report reveals that the Microsoft-owned social platform, which boasts more than 1 billion users, is in the process of developing games entitled “Queens”, “Inference” and “Crossclimb.”
App researcher Nima Owji said on X that LinkedIn appears to be working on games which will involved companies getting “ranked”, based on the scores of their employees, and posted a series of screenshots showing some of the games the company is working on.
“We’re playing with adding puzzle-based games within the LinkedIn experience to unlock a bit of fun, deepen relationships, and hopefully spark the opportunity for conversations,” a spokesperson for LinkedIn said in a message to TechCrunch. “Stay tuned for more!”
Microsoft, which has developed Xbox, Activision Blizzard and ZeniMax, delivered over $7B in gaming revenue during the second quarter of last year.
However the LinkedIn spokesperson declined to comment on Microsoft’s involvement in the LinkedIn gaming project, according to the report.
The LinkedIn spokesperson confirmed that the images shared on X by Owji are not the most recent versions. (Image Source :X/@nima_owji)
Other non-game platforms that have added games into their offerings include:.
- The New York Times, which acquired Wordle in 2022 and attracted millions of active players by the end of the year . It then expanded the newspaper’s offerings to include a broader platform of online puzzles and games.
- Facebook, which was not as successful, made the decision to shut down its standalone gaming app in 2022 due to a noticeable decline in usage and engagement.
- Google, on the other hand, which recently started introducing casual games on YouTube Playables depite previously shutting down its cloud gaming platform Stadia.
A launch date for the games has not yet been disclosed by LinkedIn.
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