10 CTV Casual Games That Are Fun for the Whole Family

There’s a good chance that you've become more familiar with connected television (CTV) content over the last 18 months. Many of us have started to watch more content via smart TVs, instead of relying on just cable or satellite channels. We’ve all been exposed to new forms of media, serials, and more, and the viewer experience has improved considerably.

While television shows are most associated with CTV in the popular consciousness, gaming is also a feature. There are now hundreds of games to play across a wide variety of apps and platforms, including Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and more. If you’re new to this arena, then try starting out with some of the following games — all chosen as a stress-free way to jump into CTV gaming for newcomers.

Created by Playcent Games, one of CTV gaming’s main pioneers, Crazino offers all the allure and excitement of a casino — entirely for free, without microtransactions! This makes it a safe yet enjoyable experience by focusing on providing staples like free spins, bonuses, and jackpots without the risk of losing money. The game’s theme is based on several real-world gaming hotspots, for example, Vegas Heat is based on the eponymous American city, whereas Legends of Haoyun is based on East Asian locations like Macau.

Remember the 1990s and the early 2000s, and how Snake was the ultimate mobile game that everybody played and could seemingly never stop? Well, it's back and better than ever before, only this time on CTV platforms. The difference now is that there are different styles to choose from. You can play with or without walls and exercise greater control over the speed of the snake itself. Simply collect the in-game squares and watch your reptile grow — it’s a blast from the past with a modern twist.

If you're looking for a game to take the edge off after a long or stressful day, then Ball Breaker is likely to be a good fit for you. Relax and de-stress by breaking things virtually, not in reality. Your goal is to break as many blocks as possible using the balls you have at your disposal, and you can collect more balls and level up to help you out. Ball Breaker is one of those games that is easy to get into, but the difficulty level increases as you continue to level up, ensuring that you feel constantly challenged.

For those with young children (or maybe even those who are just young at heart) look no further than Rainbow Dash. With easy-to-beat levels that help you get engaged, which lead to higher difficulty levels to provide a challenge, Rainbow Dash offers a colorful experience that will test your kids' mental agility. Gameplay is based on navigating a rainbow around a series of geometric obstacles like a classic platform game, so mums and dads should feel familiar with it too.

The traditionalists out there might find Mazes particularly interesting as it is a classic puzzle game, designed to fit into your schedule and provide a quick distraction when required. It offers 450 different labyrinths to choose from, all presented in a fantastic retro 2D style. There are also three different difficulty settings to choose from, meaning you can always find a new way for you to challenge yourself.

How would you like to dress up as a bear and run around a virtual universe collecting candy while dodging the attention of greedy bunnies? Well in Candy Care Bear you can do just that, navigating your bear around moving platforms, ladders, and other obstacles to collect your candies, but beware, the rabbits will be coming after you. This game is ideal for those looking for a light-hearted escape and the free (with ads) version offers over 120 levels.

If Snake is a classic video game, then Tic Tac Toe takes the title for the most classic as this game’s been around for hundreds of years. Now brought to the CTV format, this version includes single and multiplayer options, variable difficulty levels, and a randomized engine to prevent tactical repetition by the computer. This modern twist on a classic is particularly ideal for families with bored children.

Following closely behind Tic Tac Toe in terms of age must be Cups and Ball Free, another CTV game based on a time-honored tradition. You know the trick: three cups are placed on a table with a ball under one of them, they’ve moved around, and you have to correctly guess which one has the ball under it. Don’t worry though, there’s no sleight of hand in this version! 

Arcade games are some of the most popular on CTV-based platforms, and Fruit Cutter is a great example of this niche. It has stylish visuals and an easy-to-play style that makes it a great distraction when you need an escape. All you need to do is move like a ninja, slice as many fruits as you can to score points and make sure you look out for special fruits to get bonuses.

Darts are a classic of British pub culture, and perhaps it's fitting that the game now has its own CTV format after repeated lockdowns closed have likely dulled the local darts scene. DARTS has single and multiplayer options available, and a scorecard of either 301 or 501. Get down to zero and you win the game.