Jest, a marketplace for messaging games, is challenging the app store status quo

Source: TechCrunch

Introduction

For years, mobile gaming has been dominated by app stores. Developers spend countless hours creating games only to surrender up to 30 % of their earnings to major platforms like Apple and Google. A newcomer, Jest, is aiming to change that model.

Jest is a marketplace for messaging games that emerged from stealth with $7 million in seed funding. The company believes the future of gaming will live inside messaging apps rather than in traditional app stores.

The Rise of RCS

Jest’s launch coincides with the growth of Rich Communication Services (RCS), an enhanced version of SMS that supports rich media, interactive features, and embedded payments.

• In 2024, Apple added RCS support with iOS 18 — TechCrunch.
• By May 2025, RCS was handling over a billion messages daily in the U.S., according to Google — TechCrunch.

“Mobile game developers have largely been locked into app store distribution as the primary way to reach players,” says Deyan Vitanov, CEO and co‑founder, in an interview with TechCrunch. “RCS games live in the messaging inbox, the stickiest surface on mobile, where people are already spending huge amounts of time talking to friends and family.”

Image Credits: Jest

How Jest Works

Jest lets users send games directly within chat threads. Games launch in the web browser and require Wi‑Fi, eliminating the need to visit an app store. This approach is especially relevant as consumers are downloading fewer games — TechCrunch. In 2025, mobile games were downloaded 39.4 billion times, an 8.6 % year‑over‑year decline following a 6.6 % drop from 2023 to 2024 (Appfigures annual report).

Early Traction

• By the end of January, just four months into its beta, Jest recorded over 1 million messaging games played and more than 300 k messages exchanged.
• Retention is reported to be 3–4 times higher than traditional mobile apps.
• Early partners claim 30–60 % lower acquisition costs compared with conventional mobile apps.

“It’s remarkably simple. Just tap on a link, and you’re in,” Vitanov added.

Image Credits: Jest

Revenue Model

Jest offers developers a 90/10 revenue split, with 90 % of earnings going directly to the studio—far better than the typical 30 % commission taken by app stores.

A built‑in network effect further incentivizes collaboration:

• If Studio A acquires a user and Studio B monetizes that user, the split is 70 % to the monetizing studio, 20 % to the acquiring studio, and 10 % to Jest.

This structure allows even non‑monetizing viral games to generate revenue when their users play other titles on the platform.

Partnerships and Funding

Jest has attracted interest from development partners behind titles such as “Episode,” “Puppy Mansion,” and “Kingdom Maker.”

The $7 million seed round was led by Innovation Endeavors and will be used to:

• Scale the platform
• Onboard the first group of gaming studios

Jest also launched a Games Fund to support studios at various stages:

Expansion Plans

Jest is currently live in the United States and plans to expand to 14 additional countries by Q3 2026.