How to play Unhinged, Netflix’s new thriller game that turns your phone into a survival tool

The interactive thriller-horror experience puts players directly into Ava’s story, with your phone becoming the controller and your only chance of helping her escape. All you need is a Netflix account, your phone, and roughly the same amount of free time you’d spend watching an episode of your favourite show.

So, what exactly is Unhinged? Who is in the cast? And how does the game actually work? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is Unhinged on Netflix?

Netflix’s latest big release isn’t a new series or film; it’s a game. In Unhinged, players take control of Ava, who finds herself trapped inside her apartment building during a Category 5 hurricane.

Her only link to the outside world is a phone call from her best friend Claire, who lives across the street. But while the storm rages outside, the real danger is much closer to home.

The building’s stairwell has been locked, cutting off Ava’s only escape route. A wellness check on a neighbour reveals unsettling clues that something is seriously wrong. Then comes the terrifying realisation: Ava is not alone.

How do you play Unhinged?

Getting started is pretty straightforward. Find Unhinged in Netflix’s Games section, select it, and scan the QR code shown on screen to connect your phone.

From there, your phone becomes Ava’s controller. Your real-life movements mirror her actions in the game, letting you move her hands and guide her flashlight through the darkness.

The experience is designed to blur the line between the game and reality. When Ava receives a phone call or message, your own phone rings, vibrates, and plays the audio through its speaker. Meanwhile, the rest of the eerie atmosphere and environmental sounds come through your television.

Does Unhinged have different game modes?

Surviving Unhinged depends on how intense you want the experience to be.

For players who want to focus purely on the story, Story Mode removes the pressure. There’s no countdown timer, and the game prevents you from dying so you can experience the narrative without the stress.

Standard Mode, however, turns up the panic. During tense moments, a shrinking timer appears at the top of the screen, forcing you to quickly search your surroundings for the right interactive object.

Fail to find what you need before time runs out and Ava dies, although you won’t be thrown back to the beginning. Instead, you’ll restart from your most recent checkpoint.

Who stars in Unhinged?

The game features a recognisable cast, including Zoë Kravitz as Ava, Sadie Sink as Claire, Ava’s best friend, and Troy Baker as Ben, the apartment building’s superintendent

The interactive Netflix game was also developed with collaboration from David Fincher and Zach Cregger, who helped shape the project’s thriller-inspired world.

Unhinged is Netflix leaning fully into the idea that games can be more than something you play: They can be something you experience.