On Friday, July 25, Spotify partnered with Netflix to launch an exclusive in-app mini-golf game promoting the release of Happy Gilmore 2, marking the audio platform’s first-ever collaborative gaming venture.
A First-of-Its-Kind Brand Collaboration
This brand partnership represents a brand-new promotional territory for Spotify, as the platform has never previously joined forces with an outside company to build an interactive gaming experience inside its application.
Gaming has remained a largely unexplored vertical for the audio giant. Partnering with Netflix offers a strategic testing ground to measure how users respond to interactive features while leveraging the immense nostalgic reach of Adam Sandler’s 1996 cult comedy sequel to boost overall app engagement. Spotify confirmed it developed the project alongside digital production agency MiK Studio.
Gameplay Mechanics and In-App Access
The mobile-exclusive title, named the Happy Gilmore 2 Tournament, lives directly inside the Spotify app. Players control their golf swing mechanics using simple tap controls to aim, stroke, and complete a three-hole course.
Integrated Audio, Custom Playlists, and Easter Eggs
The experience blends interactive gameplay with custom audio features. Finishing rounds plays signature movie sound clips and unlocks an automatically generated playlist of upbeat “happy” songs curated specifically for the individual listener.
The mini-game also embeds classic film references as Easter eggs, such as Happy’s work boots, his custom hockey stick putter, and the iconic alligator. Upon completing the course, players can watch the official Happy Gilmore 2 trailer and share both their customized playlist and final golf scores on social media.
Spotify’s History with In-App Mini-Games
While this marks Spotify’s first commercial gaming partnership with a third party, it is not the platform’s initial venture into playable media. Spotify previously launched an internal hidden Easter egg in 2023 titled “Eat This Playlist,” which adapted the classic arcade game Snake by letting users control a snake eating album art from their saved music queues.
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