We all have our ways of  unwinding after work or study but nothing beats the immersive relaxation offered by sitting yourself down in front of a large smart TV and playing video games. It’s the ideal way to take your mind off your job or studies and the stresses of the outside world, allowing you to escape to your own virtual reality and get a quick hit of dopamine. While almost all video games are good at achieving this, the content offered via connected television (CTV) platforms is particularly useful  in finding a diversion. .

Since the CTV industry became more mainstream, video game designers have been able to develop those that provide a cozy, relaxing vibe, ideal for chilling out after a tiring  day.  There’s a  great deal of variety now available in terms of genre, number of supported players, overall difficulty, etc., to the extent that CTV gaming is now as established as mobile apps are. Creators have caught up to consumer demand, and viewers now have plenty of CTV-based content to choose from.

In this article, we’re going to highlight some of the best CTV games to help you to take your mind off everyday life. Whether you’re looking for a strategy game that gets your brain cells pumping, or for an action-packed experience where you can roleplay as a ripped 80s action star, this list has you covered. While each one comes from different  genres, they all share high-quality UX design, passionate developers, excellent graphics, and tremendous opportunities for fun.

Crazino

Social casinos have become one of the most popular video games available on CTV platforms and it’s easy to understand why. Casual and hardcore gamers alike can derive a great deal of enjoyment from games like roulette which  provide a quick hit of dopamine whenever required. Also, they’re psychologically low impact, meaning they’re not particularly taxing to play, and they don’t use real-world currency so there’s no risk of financial damage. One of the best examples of a game in this genre is Crazino as it provides an engaging, therapeutic experience, ideal for spending time in front of the TV after a busy schedule. 

One of the best things about Crazino is that it allows the player to create or add to their social circles, as it’s easy to share your successes (or even fails) in the game via social media. This makes it particularly suited to people who prefer online socialization to the outside world and for people with neurodivergent conditions like autism who appreciate repetitive gameplay in a safe environment. Being able to create and participate in a social community on your terms is a great asset for any game to offer, so credit to Crazino.

Another aspect of Crazino that’s particularly appealing to CTV video gamers is the  amount of variety on offer for a casino-based game, including dozens of levels and daily missions, a classic Lucky Wheel, and a bingo game. You don’t have to go to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or Monte Carlo to experience the rush of games of chance; you can do that in front of your smart TV.  Start collecting the in-game coins to win, and remember, share your fun with your friends and family; an experience shared is all the more enjoyable after all!

Available on: Amazon TV, Roku TV

Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi was an amazing arcade game when it was first released in the early 2000s. It has since been adapted for the CTV gaming market, and we’re very glad it has been. The premise is simple: you drive a taxi in a mad way and attempt to score as many points as possible in 3/5/10-minute matches. It’s a simple, easy-to-follow format that works for one reason in particular.

That reason is that Crazy Taxi is absolutely terrific fun; don’t think that you can use this game to practice for a future career as an Uber driver; your taxi driving skills are closer to what you’d expect to find in the Grand Theft Auto series. With a simple premise, addictive gameplay, and hours of ridiculous enjoyment. Crazy Taxi is perfect if you want to spend your gaming hours laughing your head off at your own crazy antics as well as those of your fellow players.

Available on: Amazon Fire TV

Fruit Ninja

Many of us have  dreamed about becoming a ninja one day and while that may be unattainable  for most, you can certainly role-play as one, just as long as you don’t mind your targets being fruit. The gameplay principle of Fruit Ninja is simple: you slash fruit to score points and try to beat your high score; just make sure you don’t miss three fruits in a row or you’re out.

Fruit Ninja has multiple levels with increasingly difficult settings to make the game more challenging for the gamer as they improve, but the core premise remains the same, which is why the game has become so popular. It’s a simple, easy-to-understand experience that allows the user to get a quick hit of dopamine after work or study — low fuss, low impact, high reward, ideal for casual gamers.

Available on: Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV

Hill Climb Racing

Finland is well known for its success in motor racing with Formula 1 world champions like Kimi Räikkönen and Mika Häkkinen hailing from the  country, so it should come as no surprise that it  also makes great racing video games as well. In this iteration, you drive a car up a series of inclines and hills, collecting coins, with only two simple controls: gas and brakes. As such it’s not much of a stretch to say that this game is perfect for when you don’t want to overtax your brain.


You can use the coins you collect to purchase in-game vehicle upgrades and new vehicles, which provides the user with a customized experience that goes further than might otherwise be expected for a game with such a simple formula. One other thing to highlight is that Hill Climb Racing’s physics were received with considerable acclaim, as they allow the gamer to rotate their car mid-air and also control their landing angle. It’s great fun and simple to enjoy. 

Available on: Amazon Fire TV

Air Hockey Deluxe

Do you remember playing air hockey when you were younger, either on a small game table at home or at an arcade center, playing against your friends and family with that ‘clackety-clack’ sound ringing out? Now you can enjoy the same experience via CTV gaming without having to rely on buying a physical board, as thanks to Air Hockey Deluxe, you can simply sit down, turn on your smart TV, and start playing.

Air Hockey Deluxe is a great choice for families looking for some wholesome fun in front of the TV at home, the gameplay is simple and takes the user back to the old-school environment of an arcade. The kids will enjoy it because of the competition and the adults will get to relive memories from their younger days as they hear the ‘clackety-clack’ noise all over again.

Available on: Roku TV

Hungry Shark Evolution

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Have you ever listened to the famous Jaws theme music and decided that the actual hero of the story wasn’t the intrepid police chief or the grizzled seaman, but rather the shark? If that sounds like you, then you should play Hungry Shark Evolution, a survival game where you win by consuming fish and anything else that gets in your way in the ocean. We love games that have a simple premise and this one is perfect for taking a bite out of your busy day!

All you need to do is keep eating, anything, including (rather terrifyingly) some sort of mutated Tyrannosaurus Rex. As you can imagine, the game offers lots of whimsical fun with tongue firmly planted in cheek, an experience made all the better by some outstanding visuals and graphics. This makes the gameplay all the more engaging and a great choice for those looking to laugh while playing. 

Available on: Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV

SNES9x

When the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) came out it was an absolute game changer in video gaming technology. If you are lucky enough to remember those times then you’ll appreciate just how important this development was. SNES9x is an emulator designed to recreate the original SNES experience for CTV-based platforms as well as PCs, providing a wholesome, nostalgic experience for the older  gamer.

There’s plenty on offer for  younger gamers as SNES9x is able to offer a number of Nintendo games that were only brought out in Japan many years ago, and never released to  international audiences. Nothing quite beats the old-school Nintendo graphics either; they’re totally iconic, providing an excellent gaming experience. As such the Snes9x emulator is the ideal choice if you’re looking for a CTV video game that bridges the gap between different  generations.

Available on: Amazon Fire TV

Sonic CD

Keeping the retro vibes going, we come to Sonic CD, which is based on the adventures of the eponymous hedgehog and beloved icon of Sega, the other Japanese giant in the video gaming industry of the 1990s. You take control of Sonic as he travels far to reach the shores of a mysterious lake where a rare event is taking place: the reappearance of the Little Planet, which causes time to collide, sliding the past, present, and future together. 

Sonic CD is as classic as the original game; you take on the bad guy (in this instance, Dr. Eggman) to right the wrongs of the world and save it just in time (which in this case is meant quite literally). Something that really adds to the retro vibes of this game is its mixed American and Japanese soundtrack which highlights how  music can really improve the overall experience for the player.

Available on: Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV

Hangman Word Game

Almost everyone has played a game of Hangman in moments of boredom. The set-up requirements are simple, only requiring pen, paper, and a reasonably diverse vocabulary, but that doesn’t mean this game is dreary or isn’t suited to  the modern era. These classic games work because they’re simple to play and effective at relieving tedium,regardless of the age of their participants, so it should come as no surprise that Hangman Word Game has made it to the CTV industry.

Parents should take particular note of the Hangman Word Game, as not only is it fun for all ages, but it can also help improve the vocabulary and general knowledge of your children via friendly competition. That’s why it comes with four dictionaries included as standard: Basic English, the names of capital cities, the names of countries, and animals. Fun for all the family  making it easy to learn at the same time. Now that’s perfect for younger players. 

Available on: Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV

Stunt Extreme 3D – Moto Traffic Bike Racer

Don’t let the name fool you as Stunt Extreme 3D: Moto Traffic Bike Racer might sound like a classic arcade game for teenagers trying to be cool, but there’s more to this game than meets the eye. Of course, you play as a motorbike stunt rider pulling off hell-raising tricks that you could never execute in the real world, but there are also multiple customization options and real motorbike sound effects. It also has a career mode with over 50 missions and a first-person view perspective.

This means that you can use Stunt Extreme 3D: Moto Traffic Bike Racer to either dive in for a quick fix of adrenaline when you need a break at the office, on your way to college, at an appointment, etc., or sit down in front of your smart TV after a hard day and lose yourself in the world you create as a professional motorbike stunt rider. With such diversity in game playing options it’s no surprise that this game has become so popular and it makes an excellent addition to any discerning gamer’s library.

Available on: Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV

Asphalt 8

Proving that there’s a CTV game for every conceivable niche, Asphalt 8 highlights how gamers looking for great-performance and high-quality graphics can find what they’re looking for on platforms like Amazon Fire TV. At its core, it’s a classic racing game with over 300 officially licensed cars and motorcycles, providing you with a great deal of unique gameplay as well as an in-house workshop to take your experience even further.

When it comes to the actual gameplay itself there’s a lot to choose from, including single and multiplayer plus 75+ tracks with unique challenges, time trials where you compete against the clock, and opportunities to race around in an open-world mode. If you’re looking for a racing CTV game that offers you the world as a customized  experience, this is the one for you. You won’t even mind the 2GB of storage space it requires.

Available on: Amazon Fire TV

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

George Lucas really was struck by genius. Can you imagine the cultural landscape without Jedis and Wookies, Han Solo commanding the Millennium Falcom, or Master Yoda speaking English with bizarre grammar? It has also led to a slew of video games in various genres and one of the most impressive was Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which has now made its way to CTV media platforms.

The game is set across the Star Wars universe and features well-known locations, such as Luke Skywalker’s planet of Tatooine and Kashyyyk, set four thousand years before the events of the original films. Create your own band of heroes or villains as you navigate the expansive world of the contest on either the dark or light side of the force. This game doesn’t just appeal to the Star Wars fans out there; it’s also ideal for those competitors looking for a customized, immersive gaming experience. Remember, the force will be with you, always!

Available on: Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV

Badland

A lot of the games we’ve covered on  this list offer customization options for player skins like cars or motorbikes, which is really cool, but what about being able to provide customized options for each level in a game? That’s what we really like about Badland: this classic game adapted for CTV platforms allows the user to customize its various levels and share them with their social media community, creating a unique modding culture.

It’s also important to note that the graphics in this game are absolutely outstanding,, so not only are you getting a gameplay experience that provides one of the most customizable experiences possible on the market, but you get to enjoy all that with incredibly immersive graphics. Add single, versus, and multiplayer gaming options, as well as an atmospheric soundtrack, and you could easily make the case that Badland is one of the best video games around, not just on CTV platforms Just note that it takes up a fair amount of memory space but this is a small price to pay for such an enjoyable gaming experience.

Available on: Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV

Crossy Road

If something becomes as popular as Crossy Road, there’s probably a very good reason why and with over 200 million users worldwide, this game is one of the most successful in the gaming industry. The premise is simple: all you need to do to play is cross streets and roads, railways, and rivers without getting hit by obstacles in the way or vehicles like cars or even trains, which makes the gameplay perfect for training and improving your reflexes.

Crossy Road is well-suited  for the casual and the hardcore video game player alike as the different settings in the game are reflexive, acting as a needless loop; the more quickly you make decisions, the more the settings of the game change. If you want a more relaxed experience, you can slow things down or go faster for more of a challenge. There are 150 characters to choose from and an in-game currency for you to use to purchase upgrades. The game is perfect for creating a simple experience tailored to your skill sets with customization options.  What more could you want?

Available on: Amazon Fire TV

There are plenty of other awesome video games out there for you to enjoy via CTV media platforms so have fun with your gaming choices and always stay on the lookout for new content. Remember to share the results of your fun with your social network, as encouraging new players to play your game of choice is a great way to boost your sense of community. Sharing is caring for all, and helping the people you care about relax after their heavy days is a great way to demonstrate your appreciation for them.

Make use of CTV-based video games to transform your evenings into an immersive experience where whatever troubles or stresses that  you have during work hours  can disappear, and with such a wide range of high-quality games to choose from, there’s an escape on offer for everyone. Whether you want to role play as a daring motorbike rider, sit down with the rest of the family and play classic games like Hangman, or play a social casino game like Crazino to enjoy the thrill of gambling without the risk of financial loss, anything is possible.

So make some space around your TV, get your snacks, cup of tea, or whatever you need, get yourself comfy, and start gaming to your heart’s content. Have fun, and let the games begin!