Roku City Comes Alive With Live-Action Short Films and Interactive Tour

No longer a background player when you pause a show or leave the room, the Roku City screensaver has morphed into its own civilization. On Thursday, the streaming company introduced a new way to lure its customers into the display with See You in Roku, which brings you into its world through films and a few interactive features.

There are six short movies all about Roku that take you to various parts of the imaginary locale, including Mount Roku, a pirate ship and the Isle of Roku (where an unfortunate plane crash leaves someone with a massive eye injury). Viewers can enter the purple-hued city and watch scenes from its hospital, Roku General, or witness a nail-biting confrontation between gangsters about sharing log-ins. 

Aside from these films, you can also romp around the volcano, go check out the Kraken in the bay or use your Roku remote for other adventuring around town. 

“Roku City has always been a bit of a mystery — that’s honestly part of the charm,” said Damon Van Deusen, Roku’s VP of brand. “We wanted to reward the fan curiosity instead of keeping them guessing. ‘See You in Roku’ is our way of finally opening it up, while still keeping the personality that made people fall in love with Roku City in the first place.”  

It’s not the first time the streaming giant has gotten playful with its brand. This past April, the company launched City Dash, a spaceship-themed video game that viewers can play on the home screen. And in May, Roku gave the home page a major makeover to make the interface more personalized.