App Store Killer? Messaging Games Just Changed Everything!

Hustler Words – For years, the mobile gaming landscape has been defined by the monolithic presence of app stores. Developers pour immense resources into crafting digital experiences, only to see a substantial portion—upwards of 30%—of their hard-earned revenue siphoned off by industry giants like Apple and Google. This entrenched model, coupled with a noticeable decline in mobile game downloads, has set the stage for disruption. Enter Jest, an emergent player poised to fundamentally transform how we discover and play games on our smartphones.

Jest, a pioneering marketplace for games embedded directly within messaging apps, recently unveiled its operations, backed by a robust $7 million in seed funding. The company posits that the future of interactive entertainment won’t reside in a separate application storefront, but rather within the very communication platforms people use daily.

This strategic launch aligns perfectly with the burgeoning adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS). As an advanced iteration of traditional SMS, RCS empowers richer media, interactive functionalities, and integrated payment options directly within messaging threads. The shift is undeniable: Apple’s integration of RCS with iOS 18 in 2024, alongside Google’s report of over a billion daily RCS messages in the U.S. by May 2025, underscores its rapid mainstream acceptance.

"Mobile game developers have largely been confined to app store distribution as the primary conduit to reach players," remarked Deyan Vitanov, CEO and co-founder of Jest, in an interview with hustlerwords.com. "RCS games thrive within the messaging inbox, arguably the most engaging digital real estate on mobile, where individuals already dedicate vast amounts of time connecting with friends and family. We are building upon an interaction pattern people instinctively use every day."

Jest’s innovative approach allows users to dispatch games directly within their chat conversations, bypassing the traditional app store download process entirely. These games launch seamlessly in a web browser, requiring only a Wi-Fi connection. This convenience is particularly pertinent given the broader trend of decreasing game downloads. Appfigures’ annual report indicated that mobile game downloads in 2025 totaled 39.4 billion, marking an 8.6% year-over-year contraction, following a 6.6% dip from 2023 to 2024.

The efficacy of Jest’s strategy is already evident. Within just four months of its beta phase, by the end of January, the platform had facilitated over 1,000,000 messaging games played and more than 300,000 messages exchanged.

Vitanov further elaborated on their impressive metrics: "We’re observing 3-4 times superior retention compared to conventional mobile applications—a profound alteration in the engagement curve. On the user acquisition front, we’ve definitively validated that users will readily engage with games via messaging, with our initial partners reporting 30-60% lower acquisition costs relative to mobile apps. It’s incredibly straightforward: a simple tap on a link, and you’re immersed."

Beyond merely enabling games in chats, Jest has engineered a dedicated marketplace tailored for these unique experiences. The most compelling aspect for developers is the unprecedented revenue share model: a remarkable 90/10 split, where 90% of earnings flow directly to the creators. This stands in stark contrast to the standard 30% commission levied by established app stores, presenting a highly attractive new avenue for gaming studios.

Vitanov also highlighted a clever intrinsic network effect: "If one studio acquires a user, but another studio successfully monetizes them, we intelligently distribute the economics: 70% to the monetizing studio, 20% to the acquiring studio, and 10% to Jest. This establishes powerful incentives, allowing even highly viral games that may not directly monetize well to generate revenue streams for their developers when those users explore other titles on the platform."

Jest has already garnered significant interest from prominent development partners, including teams behind popular franchises such as "Episode," "Puppy Mansion," and "Kingdom Maker."

The recently secured seed funding, spearheaded by Innovation Endeavors, is earmarked for scaling the platform and integrating its inaugural cohort of gaming studios. To further catalyze growth and innovation, Jest has also inaugurated a specialized Games Fund. This fund is designed to support studios across various stages of franchise development on the platform, deploying capital in three distinct tiers: $1 million for flagship titles, $200,000 for promising mid-stage projects, and $40,000 for exploratory concepts and experimental ventures.

Currently operational in the U.S., Jest is poised for an aggressive international expansion, targeting 14 additional countries by the third quarter of 2026, signaling a bold new chapter for mobile gaming.