Meta has started testing the idea of adding games to private Threads conversations, beginning with a simple basketball game. The company confirmed that it is working on an internal version of the feature, but said it is not yet available to users. Meta described the game as a prototype that remains under review and has not reached the public testing stage.
How the Game Works
The basketball game first came to light after it was discovered by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi (via TechCrunch), who often tracks early versions of features still under development. He shared an image that showed a basketball game running inside a chat window. The game appears to allow users to score points by swiping on the screen to throw a virtual ball into a hoop. The format suggests that people chatting with each other could take turns and compare scores, creating a light competitive element within conversations.
If Meta moves ahead with in-message games, Threads could gain a new way to keep users engaged. Rival platforms such as X and Bluesky do not currently offer built-in games within messages. The feature could also place Threads closer to Apple’s Messages app, which supports casual games through third-party services such as GamePigeon.
Meta has not shared a timeline for a possible launch, and the company has not confirmed whether the feature will move beyond internal testing. As with other early projects, the game may change or be dropped before it reaches users.
Meta’s Ongoing Messaging Experiments
This is not the first time Meta has experimented with games inside messaging tools. Last year, Instagram introduced a hidden game within direct messages. That game allowed users to control a paddle to keep an emoji bouncing on the screen. Players competed with the person they were chatting with to reach a higher score, adding a playful element to private conversations.
The game prototype comes as Meta continues to expand Threads with new tools designed to strengthen user activity. The platform has recently added more topics to its Communities feature, a move seen as an attempt to compete with discussion-focused platforms such as Reddit and X. Threads has also introduced disappearing posts, which remove content from public view after 24 hours.
Threads has grown to about 400 million monthly users worldwide. However, its reach in the United States remains limited. A recent Pew Research Centre report showed that 21 percent of U.S. adults have used X, while only 8 percent reported using Threads. Bluesky stood at 4 percent. Meta’s push to test new features highlights its effort to narrow that gap.