Can YouTube gamify its videos? Two ‘Mario Kart’ fans pulled it off.

A playable version of Rainrow Road has come to YouTube. The notable Mario Kart level is featured in a video that utilizes YouTube’s 360-degree format to turn the platform’s video player into an interactive experience.

The video uses keyboard controls to present a bare-bones version of Mario Kart‘s technicolor track. By changing the orientation of the 360-degree interface, players can dodge obstacles and progress through the level. YouTube’s captions even enable a rudimentary “character select” feature, letting players choose between seven of Nintendo‘s iconic racers.

Speaking of Nintendo, one would think that the Mario Kart publisher will eventually hit this video with a copyright claim. After all, the gaming company is infamous for its restrictive approach to YouTube, which has frustrated creators for decades.

Even if the YouTube version of Mario Kart is eventually taken down, its designers have plenty of other interactive videos to offer. Atlas Arcade has dropped YouTube-ified takes on Five Nights At Freddy’s and Geometry Dash, while Animated Subtitles has turned YouTube’s captions into an ingenious creative tool.

These experiments aren’t the first playable videos to pop up on YouTube. The iconic creator MysteryGuitarMan

also used the 360-degree format as the basis for a game, and the channel Many A True Nerd reimagined Fallout: New Vegas as a YouTube-hosted, choose-your-own-adventure experience.

A lot has changed in the decade since those interactive videos first hit YouTube. In 2026, gamified experiences have become trendy choices for marketing agencies. Roblox hosts more than 200 brands, and Fortnite has attracted advertisers as well. As those companies deliver new products that make their branded experiences even stickier, it’s a good time for YouTube to get in on the fun.

Atlas Arcade and Animated Subtitles are showing how a gamified YouTube experience could be built and marketed. YouTube is already leaning into interactive content, so what if Nintendo actually followed suit? Could it use this Mario Kart video to launch a new wave of gamified experiences?

Ultimately, the YouTube version of Mario Kart is so rudimentary that it’s little more than an interesting thought experiment. For now, YouTube users will have to stick to a library of casual games, but the platform’s videos clearly have some untapped creative potential.