Social connection is about to get a whole lot more fun on Threads! Meta's text-based social platform is exploring an exciting new way for users to interact through in-message games, beginning with an engaging basketball game that promises to add a playful dimension to everyday conversations.

The news broke when tech sleuth Alessandro Paluzzi discovered the unreleased feature during development. The basketball game appears delightfully simple yet engaging—users can virtually shoot hoops by swiping their fingers across the screen, creating an interactive experience right within their chat threads. Imagine challenging your best friend to a quick game while catching up on your day!

Meta has confirmed they're internally prototyping this innovative feature, showing the company's commitment to making digital interactions more dynamic and enjoyable. While the game isn't publicly available yet, its development signals an exciting direction for social media platforms that goes beyond simple text and image sharing.

This isn't just about entertainment—it's about fostering genuine connections. The basketball game would allow friends to engage in friendly competition, seeing who can score the most baskets and sharing laughs along the way. It's the kind of spontaneous, joyful interaction that strengthens relationships and makes online communication feel more personal and human.

What makes this development particularly exciting is how it positions Threads as an innovator in the social media space. By introducing built-in games, Threads is creating unique value that sets it apart from competitors like X and Bluesky, neither of which currently offer integrated gaming experiences. The feature could even provide a compelling alternative to Apple's Messages, which relies on third-party apps like GamePigeon for similar functionality.

Meta has shown enthusiasm for in-message gaming before. Last year, Instagram introduced a charming hidden emoji game in direct messages where users bounce emojis with a virtual paddle, competing for high scores. That successful experiment clearly paved the way for more ambitious gaming features like the basketball game coming to Threads.

The timing couldn't be better. Threads has been on an impressive growth trajectory, now boasting 400 million monthly users—a remarkable achievement for a relatively young platform. Meta continues to enrich the platform with thoughtful features, including an expanded Communities function covering diverse topics, and a "disappearing posts" feature that encourages authentic, in-the-moment sharing.

These gaming features represent something deeper than mere novelty. They reflect an understanding that social media should facilitate genuine human connection, complete with playfulness, competition, and shared experiences. In our increasingly digital world, finding creative ways to bring people together through joy and friendly rivalry is genuinely uplifting.

While we don't yet know exactly when these games will roll out to the public, the fact that Meta is actively developing such features shows their dedication to creating a more engaging, enjoyable social platform. For the 400 million people already using Threads, this innovation promises to make their daily interactions just a little bit brighter and more fun.