Facebook Inc.’s controversial decision to split Messenger off into its own app is finally starting to make sense after roughly two years, as the social media giant continues building new features in its quest to turn Messenger into a full-fledged platform.

This week, Facebook announced that users can now play a number of games directly through Messenger, including classics such as Pacman and Space Invaders, as well as newer favorites such as Words with Friends.

The games are tied into Facebook’s new cross-platform Instant Games experience, which brings single-player and multiplayer games to both Messenger and News Feed. The available games are built using HTML5, a lightweight language that allows users to play the games without actually having to download anything to their computers or mobile devices. To access the new games on the Messenger app, simply open a conversation and tap the controller icon above the text box and choose the game you want to play.

In a post on the Messenger blog, Facebook noted that the new Instant Games platform is a great place for developers to reach new audiences, and game creators can register to take part in the closed beta to get their games on Facebook.

“Instant Games, launching in closed beta, opens up a unique opportunity for game developers to lower the friction for people to discover and instantly enjoy playing games without having to install new apps,” said Facebook Product Manager Alissa Hu. “Using only one build that will run in web view, developers can easily deploy their Instant Games across multiple platforms to reach the 1.79 billion people on Facebook, as well as 1 billion people on Messenger. Facebook News Feed posts also include the ‘Instant Play’ call-to-action to help drive distribution and discovery of new games.”

Messenger has come a long way since messaging was formally split off from the core Facebook app in 2014. At the time, a large number of users criticized the move, with some refusing to install the app in protest. That protest did not last long, as Messenger’s user base is now more than one in every seven people on the planet.

In its early form, Messenger was little more than a chat app that let you talk to your Facebook friends, but now the app includes a wide range of features that are growing every day. For example, with Messenger you can transfer money to friends and family or order a ridesharing service like Uber or Lyft. Messenger also recently added end-to-end encryption, and thanks to the recent boom in chatbots, you can even use Messenger to do things like order pizza.

Image courtesy of Facebook