“Best Guess Live” premieres at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will air every weeknight, offering players up to $15,000 per game.
LOS ANGELES — Netflix will launch its first weekday mobile game show Monday, inviting subscribers to compete for thousands of dollars in prize money through a live-streaming guessing game.
“Best Guess Live,” which premieres at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, airs every weeknight at the same time and offers players up to $15,000 per game. The show is co-hosted by Howie Mandel of “America’s Got Talent” and Hunter March from Netflix’s “Sugar Rush.”
The game challenges players to identify a secret item — which could be a person, place or thing — using a series of five increasingly descriptive clues presented as riddles. Players who guess correctly after the fewest clues split the prize pot evenly.
If it sounds similar to a certain boom-and-bust mobile trivia game of years past, that’s because it is.
The format bears resemblance to HQ Trivia, the viral mobile game show that captivated audiences in 2017 before shutting down in 2022. HQ Trivia, created by Vine co-founders Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll, also featured live hosts and cash prizes distributed among winners.
“Best Guess Live” differs in gameplay mechanics. Rather than answering multiple-choice trivia questions, players solve puzzle-style challenges by deducing answers from progressive clues.
The concept for “Best Guess Live” was originally pitched around the time of HQ Trivia’s peak popularity. But when that phenomenon quickly faded, interest in mobile quiz shows dried up, according to producer David Apploff. Netflix later greenlit the project.
The launch continues Netflix’s push into gaming, which includes both mobile titles and live television shows. The company recently announced new mobile games including “WWE 2K25: Netflix Edition” and “Red Dead Redemption.”
Netflix shifted its gaming strategy this year, abandoning plans for AAA titles and ambitious indie games in favor of casual experiences and games based on Netflix intellectual property.
“Best Guess Live” represents a hybrid approach, combining lightweight live content with an interactive mobile experience. The show may eventually feature Netflix stars delivering clues, similar to how celebrities promoted projects on HQ Trivia during its heyday.
Episodes will include special “scratch-off” elements on some nights, offering additional prizes or gifts beyond the main game.
How to play ‘Best Guess Live’
Players must download the standalone “Best Guess Live” app, which is available free on iOS and Android devices. The game requires a Netflix subscription and a PayPal account to cash out any winnings.
Each 30-minute episode features two puzzles. The first offers a smaller prize for an easier challenge, while the second provides a larger jackpot but tests players more rigorously.
After each clue, participants have 20 seconds to submit their answer. Players receive only one guess per puzzle, and spelling must be exact. The game streams live from Apploff Entertainment’s Los Angeles offices.
The show is currently available only to U.S. residents 18 and older in the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
