Netflix's exclusive free mobile game is an adorable spin on a serious franchise

Hands up if you saw this coming. When it comes to gaming, the Tom Clancy series has required some of the most tactical and methodical gameplay around. The Rainbow Six franchise in particular requires serious patience and planning to clear out rooms of baddies with minimal casualties. But now it's gone super-adorable. 

Ubisoft and Netflix have teamed up to give us the Netflix-exclusive mobile game Rainbow Six Smol (as in small). Netflix subscribers can download it for free right now on both iOS and Android. The game sees you controlling an elite squad trying to save the world, except now everything is extra adorable. 

You'll find yourself rescuing hostages, defusing bombs and more in a genuine story mode that features a host of famous faces from Rainbow Six Siege. Don't be fooled by the top-down perspective and sticker book aesthetic however, this is still a Rainbow Six title. It may be a bit more gung-ho than usual but you'll need to carefully use your mix of tactical abilities (like stun grenades) and some more farfetched powers (not sure we have teleporters just yet) to clear bases of enemies.

Pull off a mission perfectly and you'll feel pretty good about yourself, but fail and your character will die forever, forcing you to level up a whole new one. It's an interesting twist straight out of something like Xcom that makes you take care in each scenario. 

I've been sceptical as to what Netflix is aiming for with its gaming intentions but this is a step in the right direction. Getting established developers and studios to create original games is much more fun than simply porting titles that would play better on a specialised gaming system like the Nintendo Switch. Plus, Rainbox Six Smol offers a lengthy story mode that syncs progress to your Netflix profile, so it's easy to pick up and keep playing anywhere. 

I don't think consoles need to be worried just yet, but this is the most compelling reason so far to consider gaming on Netflix, and there are no micro transactions or ads.