Over the past few years, several companies have integrated gaming with their platform to give themselves a boost. Netflix with Netflix Games in 2021 and The New York Times with the acquisition of Wordle in 2022 saw a massive success post-gaming integration. Microsoft-owned LinkedIn plans to do the same thing with their platform by adding puzzle-genre games.
According to a report by TechCrunch, LinkedIn is working on adding a gaming experience segment to their platform. The in-app games on LinkedIn will be puzzle-based games, which will help increase user engagement on the platform. It is also said that the companies on LinkedIn will be ranked based on the total scores the company’s employees score in the games.
Also Read: OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition Release Date Confirmed: Sales Go Live March 19
Gaming Could Be A Game-Changer For The Microsoft-Owned LinkedIn
Prior to TechCrunch’s report, app researcher Nima Owji posted about the in-app games coming to LinkedIn. According to the images shared by Nima on X (former Twitter), the names of the games coming to LinkedIn are known as “Queens”, “Inference”, and “Crossclimb”. He said: "There are going to be a few different games, and companies will be ranked in the games based on the scores of their employees!"
After learning about the addition of gaming to LinkedIn, TechCrunch reached out to LinkedIn, where it confirmed the news. A spokesperson from LinkedIn said:
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. Stay tuned for more!
Each game shows the connections between those who have played the game and the rank of the player’s company, which is based on the cumulative scores of the employees. Players can also see their in-game streaks. It is possible that a player might have to purchase LinkedIn Premium to unlock their connection’s scores. While LinkedIn hasn’t shared the launch date for their in-app games, LinkedIn users are unhappy about this addition. Responding to Nima’s post on X (former Twitter), a user wrote:
The whole point of LinkedIn is that is free of such distractions. That would be awful and detrimental to the network's raison d'être.
Another user suggested that the addition of games might be beneficial. He stated:
So many are seeing games as distraction. But it could also be one more way to increase traffic to the LinkedIn site. Many non-gaming platforms are adopting the attractiveness of games to lure users
By looking at the screenshots, Blueprint seems like a game where the player will be given clues, and they have to decipher the category the clues belong to. The image shared by Nima reads, “All 5 clues belong to a common category. Guess the category in as few clues reveals as possible”.