Threads is working on something playful, and honestly, a little unexpected: in-message games.

The first one in the pipeline? A simple but addictive basketball game that lets users swipe their finger to shoot hoops inside a chat. The feature isn’t public yet, Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s only being tested internally, but the idea alone says a lot about where Threads wants to go next.

The game was first uncovered by well-known reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who often stumbles on unreleased features long before launch. The screenshot he shared shows a mini basketball court inside a chat, designed for friendly competition and high-score bragging rights.

Why Games in DMs Make Sense for Threads

Right now, most social platforms treat messaging as a utility: send text, send memes, send voice notes, repeat. Games change that dynamic. They turn chats into shared experiences.

If Threads pulls this off, it instantly gives the platform an edge over rivals like X and Bluesky, which don’t offer any built-in games. It also nudges Threads closer to Apple’s iMessage ecosystem, where users already play games through apps like GamePigeon, something that has kept iMessage socially sticky for years.

In other words, this isn’t just about basketball. It’s about retention.

This move doesn’t come out of nowhere. Last year, Instagram quietly introduced a hidden emoji game in DMs. Users could bounce an emoji across the screen like a paddle game, competing for high scores inside their chats. It was playful, low-pressure, and surprisingly engaging, exactly the vibe Threads seems to be chasing now.

Meta understands something important: people don’t just want a platform, they want places to spend time.

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The Bigger Picture for Threads

Threads has been steadily stacking features to challenge existing platforms. It recently expanded its Communities feature to pull in Reddit-style discussions. It added disappearing posts for more casual, low-stakes conversations. And now, games in DMs could push it further into becoming a true social hub instead of just another feed.

Even with 400 million monthly users, Threads still trails X in the U.S. According to Pew Research, 21% of U.S. adults use X, compared to 8% for Threads and 4% for Bluesky. Features like in-chat games are exactly the kind of emotional glue that can close that gap.

If this launches, it subtly changes the rules of engagement. Social platforms won’t just compete on content anymore, but on who offers the best place to hang out. Messaging becomes entertainment. DMs become micro-communities. And scrolling becomes only one part of the experience.

The Takeaway

Threads adding games to chats isn’t a gimmick, it’s a strategy. It’s about turning conversations into experiences, increasing time spent on the app, and giving users a reason to choose Threads over everything else on their phones.

If Meta executes this well, your DMs may soon feel less like a message thread and more like a mini social universe, one basketball shot at a time.

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