Threads is experimenting with games inside chat conversations, starting with a basketball game. A Meta spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature is currently an internal prototype and isn’t available to users yet.
The game was first uncovered by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who frequently spots unreleased features still in development. Paluzzi shared a screenshot showing a simple basketball mini-game that appears to let users swipe their finger to shoot hoops. The concept seems designed to let friends compete for the highest score, similar to other casual mobile basketball games.
If Meta eventually launches in-chat games, it could give Threads an advantage over rivals like X and Bluesky, neither of which offer built-in gaming features. It could also help Threads better compete with Apple’s Messages app, which supports games through third-party integrations such as GamePigeon.
As with many internal prototypes, there’s no guarantee the feature will ever be released publicly, or when that might happen.
This also isn’t Meta’s first attempt at in-message games. Instagram previously introduced a hidden emoji game in direct messages, where users control a paddle at the bottom of the screen to keep an emoji bouncing. The goal is to compete with the other person in the chat for the highest score.
The prototype arrives as Meta continues to expand Threads with new features aimed at strengthening its competitive position. Recently, Threads broadened its Communities feature with additional topics, likely in an effort to attract users from platforms like Reddit and X. The app has also introduced disappearing posts, which automatically archive after 24 hours.
Although Threads now has around 400 million monthly users, it still trails X in the U.S. market. According to a recent Pew Research Center report, 21 percent of U.S. adults say they’ve used X, compared with 8 percent for Threads and 4 percent for Bluesky.