A KPop Demon Hunters Video Game Is Probably Inevitable, So Here’s What It Should Look Like

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To be clear, Netflix hasn’t announced any official plans to make a KPop Demon Hunters video game. And the streaming service has certainly seemed to scale back its gaming division with recent decisions, like selling Spry Fox back to its founders. But between the history of Stranger Things and Squid Games tie-ins and Netflix’s bid to buy Warner Bros, gaming division and all, I have to imagine a video game adaptation of the popular movie has at least crossed the minds of bigwigs at Netflix. Past gaming efforts from Netflix have had mixed reception, to say the least, so I’m here to think about whether a KPop Demon Hunters video game could actually be any good.

Netflix Has a History of Trying to Capitalize on Its Biggest IP with Game Spin-offs & KPop Demon Hunters Could Be Next

Over the years, a few Netflix Originals have become pretty big brands. Shows like Stranger Things, Bridgerton, and Squid Games are all nice feathers in Netflix’s cap, and the streamer sure seems to know it. Many big Netflix Original IPs have gone hard on collabs in recent years, with everything from Stranger Things cereal to Bridgerton bath bombs at LUSH. And that’s not all. Netflix has tried to make its Netflix Games arm happen with multiple stabs at tie-in mobile games for its tentpole properties. Admittedly, this doesn’t seem to have worked especially well, but that doesn’t mean Netflix isn’t going to try again.

At the time I’m writing this, Netflix subscribers can grab the following games based on big Netflix shows:

• Squid Game: Unleashed
• Stranger Things: 1984
• Stranger Things 3: The Game
• Nailed It! Baking Bash
• Black Mirror: Thronglets
• Netflix Stories: Love is Blind
• The Ultimatum: Choices
• The Queen’s Gambit Chess

See a pattern here? Many of the biggest IP Netflix has released in recent years have at least one spin-off game. The Netflix Games library also includes other hit mobile games, including my personal favorite, Bloons Tower Defense 6. But even so, the streamer has a clear history of putting out mobile spin-offs for its popular franchises as part of its Netflix Games offerings. And that means KPop Demon Hunters may well be next. But is it going to be anything like the game fans might actually want?

What an Actually Good KPop Demon Hunters Video Game Could Be Like

Like many people, I’ve been listening to the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack on repeat since I first decided to see what all the fuss was about. Those songs are incredibly catchy, and the movie has a fun story, too. The art style and basic premise could certainly lend themselves to an interesting tie-in video game, but it needs to be like the video game adaptations of old. In other words, not a puzzle game with a KPop Demon Hunters skin (like the very unofficial mobile game that’s already popped up using images from the popular film). No, we need a true video game that delivers on mechanics and graphics, not another cheap cash grab that’s banking on its IP alone.

Netflix traditionally sticks to mobile game releases for its spin-offs, but that could change. And mobile games themselves have gotten more ambitious in recent years, with games like Destiny Rising offering surprisingly robust RPG experiences on mobile devices. So, while I’d love to see a potential KPop Demon Hunters game for consoles, I’m keeping my daydreams realistic here.

Right off the bat, I think a potential KPop Demon Hunters game would have to be a prequel or sequel. A straight retelling can work in many cases, but that lends itself better to longer films or TV series. In the case of KPop Demon Hunters, the story is very much short and sweet, and fans are already familiar with it. Giving us a story that’s set in the earlier days of HUNTR/X or after the events of the movie would be much more compelling than a game that plays through the story we already know.

In terms of genre? I could see a few different options working here. Given the role of music, a rhythm game component could be interesting. Perhaps we have to perform as the members of HUNTR/X and hit the right notes or risk the dissolution of the Honmoon. But with those fun weapons the main trio are wielding, I feel like this game has got to have combat. I want some sick action sequences going toe-to-toe with demons. Some blend of narrative action and rhythm game certainly feels like the best direction here, to capture the spirit of the movie and deliver a new story set in the universe.

Even if we do get a KPop Demon Hunters game, it likely won’t be for a while. The sequel is in development, but not expected for quite some time. And game development often takes longer than the production cycle for movies, even animated ones. But I’d be surprised if Netflix isn’t at least thinking about a game here, if not already secretly working on one.

What would you want to see in a KPop Demon Hunters video game? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!