TikTok has quietly added over half a dozen mini-games into its app

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

TikTok has begun testing a small collection of mini- games within its app. There are nine games that can be added to a video before it's uploaded by using the "Add link" option and selecting "Mini Game." The game can be played by tapping on the link that appears under the account's name. When you play a game, you can record it and post it as a TikTok.

The pilot was confirmed in a statement by a TikTok spokesman. We are exploring bringing third-party games to TikTok. The test is intended to explore how TikTok users interact with and create content around the games.

Screenshot: TikTok

We verified that the games are available in the US and UK versions of the app. Several third-party gaming studios have developed the nine games. ByteDance bought a game studio in China called Moonton Technology.

TikTok is planning to make a "major push" into gaming, according to a report. It is thought that the service is exploring the area to encourage users to spend more time in the app. Most of the current games don't contain ads or offer in-app purchases.

TikTok is exploring using games as a way to increase engagement. Facebook courted app developers to build games and other services on its platform, which led to the creation of FarmVille, one of the most popular social games of all time. The augmented reality game was brought to the ephemeral messaging service. The company is trying to offer more value by using games.

ByteDance has a long history of gaming. The Chinese version of the Douyin app has been able to play games since the beginning of the year. In November of last year, it announced a deal with Zynga to bring a game called Disco Loco 3D exclusively to TikTok, and as of this month, it also offers another game.

It seems that TikTok's plans for gaming on its platform are bigger than ever. The company did not reply immediately.