Snapchat has pulled the plug on Snap Games, with the feature no longer available on Android, iPhone, or the web. Snapchat introduced Snap Games in 2019, and by 2021, over 200 million people had played the interactive video games within the Snapchat app. In July 2022, Snapchat released the Ghost Phone game with an elaborate storyline and extensive use of augmented reality. This was just one of the dozens of games available on the platform.
If users don’t see games in chat any longer, that’s because the feature has been discontinued. Snapchat’s support website confirms this too. In addition to games, Snapchat has also discontinued Minis. In response to a tweet, the official Snapchat Support Twitter account said that the app would focus more on products beneficial for creators and viewers. Previously, Snapchat chats displayed a rocket icon which users could tap on to begin playing a game with their friends. The selection of games included popular titles like Bitmoji Party, Snake Squad, Tiny Royale, Aquapark, and Alphabear Hustle, to name a few.
Why Snapchat Removed Games
Despite their popularity, it looks like Snap Games are unlikely to return to the app. This might have been a big surprise to users who loved the feature. However, there were signs pointing to the untimely demise of games and Minis, including a filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Aug. 26, 2022, which revealed that Snapchat’s parent company Snap had discontinued its investments in Snap Originals, Minis, Games, and the Pixy drone.
In the same filing, the company also mentions that these projects couldn’t contribute to the company’s priorities of “community growth, revenue growth, and augmented reality.” When Snap Inc. took this decision, it also announced a 20 percent reduction in its workforce to cut costs amidst poor revenue growth. However, it took until February 2023 for the company to completely remove Snap Games from the platform. In addition to Games and Minis, Snapchat also discontinued its Pixy drone just months after an over-hyped launch.
According to a 2021 report by VentureBeat, about 30 million Snapchat users played Snap Games every month. It’s safe to say that Games were one of the app’s most popular features, and Snapchat’s decision to discontinue them appears to be based on financial reasons. It’s unclear if Snapchat will ever bring back games, but it would make sense to re-introduce them in a limited way for Snapchat+ subscribers in the future.
Snapchat Games were unique, given that most social media and messaging apps don’t offer the ability to play games in chat. For Snapchat users who miss playing games, a great alternative is GamePigeon. The app is available for iMessage, and includes over 20 games, including popular titles like 8-Ball, Anagrams, Chess, Checkers, Basketball, Mini Golf, and more. Unfortunately, GamePigeon isn’t available for Android. While Snapchat‘s games have disappeared, GamePigeon is the next best thing, provided everyone in a person’s friend group uses an iPhone.
