Netflix announced Tuesday that it would acquire Night School Studio, an LA-based gaming company best known for its mystery-thriller game Oxenfree. Night School will be the first games studio to join the Netflix team as the streaming giant begins to dip its toes into the gaming world.
Night School was previously in talks with Netflix to develop a game based on the hit original series Stranger Things. The show was closely aligned with a lot of the themes running through Oxenfree, so Night School seemed like a perfect fit. Although those conversations eventually fell through, the two companies left things on good terms and the latest deal stands as evidence.
“Not only do we get to keep doing what we do, how we like to do it, but we get a front-row seat on the biggest entertainment platform in the world,” Sean Krankel, founder and CEO of Night School Studio, said in a statement. “The Netflix team has shown the utmost care for protecting our studio culture and creative vision.”
Following the deal, Night School Studio plans to continue to work on a sequel to Oxenfree.
“Netflix gives film, TV, and now game makers an unprecedented canvas to create and deliver excellent entertainment to millions of people,” Krankel continued. “[We] want to stretch our narrative and design aspirations across distinctive, original games with heart.”
Some of Night School’s other hits include mobile games like Next Stop Nowhere, which the studio dubs as a road trip through space, and cross-platform games like Afterparty, where users are forced to find a creative way to escape the realm of hell.
“We’re inspired by their bold mission to set a new bar for storytelling in games,” a spokesperson for Netflix said in a statement. “Their commitment to artistic excellence and proven track record make them invaluable partners.”
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