For an extended period, when mobile gaming comes to mind, app stores are often the first thought. Developers dedicate extensive amounts of time—years, in some cases—to creating games, only to relinquish a considerable percentage—up to 30%—of their income to giants like Apple and Google. Nevertheless, a new contender has surfaced, aspiring to transform this paradigm.

Introducing Jest, a platform for messaging games that has recently transitioned from stealth mode with $7 million in initial funding. Jest posits that the future of mobile game distribution will not arise from app stores, but from within messaging applications. 

The launch of Jest aligns with the growing popularity of Rich Communication Services (RCS), an upscale alternative to SMS that facilitates richer interactions through enhanced media, interactive functions, and integrated payments. 

As RCS adoption continues to gain traction, the dynamics are evolving. By 2024, Apple joined the RCS movement with iOS 18, and by May 2025, RCS was reportedly handling over a billion messages per day in the U.S., according to Google.

“Mobile game developers have predominantly been constrained to app store distribution as their main avenue for reaching audiences,” stated Deyan Vitanov, CEO and co-founder, during a chat with TechCrunch. “RCS games are situated in the messaging inbox, the most engaged area on mobile, where users spend substantial time conversing with friends and family. We’re capitalizing on an interaction pattern that people utilize daily.”

Jest allows users to share games directly in their chat conversations, eliminating the need to navigate an app store. (Games launch in the web browser and require Wi-Fi for gameplay.)

This convenience is particularly significant as consumers are downloading fewer games. In 2025, mobile games saw 39.4 billion downloads, reflecting an 8.6% decline from the previous year, following a 6.6% drop from 2023 to 2024, based on Appfigures’ annual analysis.

Jest’s approach is proving fruitful. By the end of January, just four months into its beta phase, the platform had already reached two major benchmarks: over 1 million messaging games played and more than 300,000 messages exchanged. 

“We’re experiencing 3-4 times better retention rates compared to standard mobile apps. This signifies a fundamental transformation in engagement dynamics. In terms of user acquisition, we have thoroughly validated that individuals are willing to sign up and engage with games via messaging, with our initial collaborators reporting 30-60% lower acquisition costs than mobile applications. It’s incredibly straightforward. Just click a link, and you’re in,” Vitanov conveyed to us.

Moreover, what stands out about Jest’s marketplace is the revenue framework for developers: a remarkable 90/10 division, with 90% of profits going straight to them. This presents a stark contrast to the usual 30% commission taken by conventional app stores, providing a hopeful new pathway for gaming studios.

“There’s also a smart network effect integrated. If one studio acquires a user while another studio monetizes that user, we share the revenue: 70% goes to the monetizing studio, 20% to the acquiring studio, and 10% to Jest. This generates strong incentives where even viral games that struggle to monetize effectively can still provide revenue for their developers when those users engage with other games on the platform,” Vitanov noted. 

Significantly, Jest has already garnered interest from multiple development partners, including teams behind well-known games like “Episode,” “Puppy Mansion,” and “Kingdom Maker.”

The seed funding, spearheaded by Innovation Endeavors, will be utilized to expand the platform and onboard the initial group of gaming studios. 

To further boost its growth, Jest has also established a dedicated Games Fund to assist studios at all stages of franchise creation on the platform.  This fund will allocate resources across three levels: $1 million for flagship projects, $200,000 for promising mid-tier titles, and $40,000 for exploratory efforts and innovative concepts.

At present, Jest is operational in the U.S. and plans to extend to 14 additional nations by the third quarter of 2026.