Facebook games were once a popular feature on the Facebook Messenger app, allowing users to play simple, casual games with their friends right in their messaging app. Games like Words with Friends, Tetris Battle, and Pool were embedded right into Messenger, making it easy to start a game with friends you were already chatting with. At their peak, Facebook games on Messenger were being played by over 100 million people per month. But in recent years, Facebook has removed games from Messenger, discontinuing most titles and game services. This has left many Messenger users wondering – what happened to Facebook games on Messenger?
The Rise of Facebook Games on Messenger
Facebook first introduced games to Messenger in 2016. They started with simple games like Words with Friends, Basketball, and Pool, which let users play turn-based games against their Messenger contacts. These basic titles proved popular, demonstrating demand for lightweight social gaming experiences built into messaging.
In March 2018, Facebook doubled down on Messenger games by launching “Instant Games” – a platform that let developers build richer gameplay experiences using HTML5 that could be launched instantly from chat. Popular external developers like King, Zynga, and Taito released their games on Instant Games, bringing popular titles like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Bubble Shooter straight into Messenger.
At its peak usage in 2018, Facebook reported that over 275 million people were playing Instant Games each month. Games gave users a fun way to interact and stay engaged in Messenger. And Facebook benefited from increased time spent in the app and associated ad revenue. Games on Messenger seemed poised for even greater growth and success.
The Decline of Messenger Games
Despite the early promise of Messenger games, Facebook’s gaming ambitions faded in more recent years. They slowly began discontinuing support and removing games from Messenger over 2019-2020. Most Instant Games titles were shut down by late 2020. And support for third-party games like Words with Friends was discontinued in 2021.
There were a few key reasons for this decline:
Shift in Facebook’s Priorities
Facebook began focusing more on revenue-generating enterprise features for Messenger like Messenger Rooms and business messaging. Games likely didn’t contribute significantly to Messenger’s bottom line. With limited resources, Facebook shifted priorities away from gaming.
Competition from Other Platforms
Dedicated gaming platforms with more robust gaming experiences emerged as tough competitors, including Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, Steam, and dedicated gaming consoles. These provided gamers access to much higher quality games compared to the basic titles available on Messenger.
| Platform | Game Library Size | Notable Games |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Arcade | Over 200 | The Pathless, NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition, Oceanhorn 2 |
| Google Play Pass | Over 800 | Stardew Valley, Terraria, Monument Valley |
| Steam | Over 50,000 | Apex Legends, Destiny 2, Dota 2 |
Limited Developer Support
The Instant Games platform failed to attract sustained developer interest. Porting games to HTML5 for Messenger was challenging. And the platform reached much smaller audiences compared to iOS, Android, and other gaming platforms. Many developers abandoned Instant Games over time.
Slow Decline of Social Games
The market for viral social games declined in general after peaking around 2010-2015. Mobile messenger gaming failed to recapture the magic of early social game hits like FarmVille and Words with Friends on Facebook. Users gravitated towards more immersive solo gameplay experiences on dedicated gaming devices.
The Current State of Messenger Games
Today, Messenger is essentially devoid of games. A few holdouts like Words with Friends remain available in certain regions. But most games are now inaccessible or completely removed from the platform. The Instant Games platform and associated developer tools have been deprecated. And Facebook’s gaming ambitions seem to have moved on.
While games on Messenger have faded, Facebook still maintains a gaming presence through cloud gaming via Facebook Gaming and Oculus for VR. But integrated games no longer feel like a priority for Messenger, which has shifted focus to communication features like encryption, feed integration, audio/video messaging, and commerce tools.
It’s unlikely that rich Messenger gameplay experiences will return in the future unless Facebook makes gaming a strategic priority again. Simpler features like emoji games, chat extensions, and stickers may continue to incorporate light gaming elements. But dedicated Instant Games allowing third-party titles seem to have run their course.
For now, gamers will need to look beyond Messenger to fulfill their gameplay needs and connect with friends elsewhere. But the rise and fall of Messenger games illustrates the challenges of supporting a platform that depends on external developers to constantly create fresh, high-quality content.
Conclusion
Facebook games on Messenger gained huge popularity after launching in 2016, amassing active user counts well over 100 million at their peak. Simple social games integrated into messaging aligned well with mobile usage habits. But Facebook failed to sustain developer and user interest as games were deprecated across 2019-2021.
Shifting strategic priorities, competition from dedicated gaming platforms, limited developer support, and the natural decline of viral social games all contributed to the demise of Messenger gameplay. While lightweight gaming still has a place in messaging, Facebook seems to have concluded full-fledged Instant Games were more trouble than they were worth. For serious gamers, Messenger simply couldn’t compete with market-leading game consoles, computers, and mobile app stores.
The disappearance of Messenger games reflects the challenges of supporting a platform dependent on external developers. But gaming remains a major industry, and new approaches may yet bring social gaming elements back to messaging in the future. For now, Messenger refocuses on communication, leaving third-party games consigned to the history books.