Starting from today, LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, introduces three cognitive games — Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb — accessible through both its mobile app and desktop version. The games are free and found under the LinkedIn News and My Network sections on desktop, and the My Network tab on mobile. Users are able to play each game once daily, share scores with their connections, and monitor their leaderboard status.
Lakshman Somasundaram, LinkedIn's product director, remarks, "It's time we reimagine the way we cultivate and rekindle relationships at work, placing fun at the centre."
The new game Pinpoint is a word association game that requires users to categorize words. Queens is a variant of Sudoku where instead of numerals, users arrange crown emojis on a grid. Crossclimb, the third game, combines elements of a crossword and a word ladder, instructing the user to construct a word ladder using a designated letter from the previous word.
Laura Lorenzetti, executive editor for LinkedIn News, told CNN Reports, "It's all about helping you stretch and exercise your mind, but more importantly, how this aids in your connections." She assures that any added games will align with this principle and maintain user engagement over time.
The latest move coincides with the trend of digital companies incorporating games into their platforms to attract new users and generate increased revenue. Previously, the New York Times rolled out subscription bundles allowing readers access to games along with informative content. Jonathan Knight, the head of games at New York Times, observed increased retention among subscribers who engage both news and games.
Similarly, the entertainment heavyweight Netflix has integrated a specific gaming section into its platform, recently adding popular games such as Hades and Sonic Mania Plus.
