Jest: A New Era in Mobile Gaming
Traditionally, mobile game developers have had to rely heavily on app stores as their main source of distribution. This often means conceding a significant chunk of their revenue, up to 30%, to giants like Apple and Google. However, a new player has entered the scene, poised to disrupt this long-standing model. Known as Jest, this fresh messaging gaming marketplace has recently come out of the shadows, armed with $7 million in seed funding. The fundamental idea behind Jest is that the future of gaming will not be found in an app store but within our messaging apps. [source]
Rich Communication Services and the Rise of Jest
The emergence of Jest aligns with the growing influence of Rich Communication Services (RCS), an advanced version of SMS that allows for a more immersive experience through its rich media, interactive features, and integrated payments. The RCS movement gained significant momentum in 2024 when Apple joined with iOS 18. By May 2025, RCS facilitated over 1 billion messages per day in the United States alone, as reported by Google.
Jest offers a unique proposition: sending games directly to threads, eliminating the need to visit an app store. These games launch in the web browser and require a Wi-Fi connection to play. Such a convenience is increasingly relevant, given the decline in game downloads. The year 2025 saw mobile games downloaded 39.4 billion times, marking an 8.6% year-over-year decrease after a 6.6% decline between 2023 and 2024, according to Appfigures’ annual report.
Jest’s Performance and Potential
Despite being in its early stages, Jest’s strategy is proving quite successful. By the end of its beta phase in January, Jest had already accomplished two significant milestones: over 1 million messaging games played and more than 300,000 messages exchanged.
The platform’s user retention rate is reported to be 3-4 times higher than conventional mobile apps, indicating a significant shift in user engagement. Furthermore, early partners have reported 30-60% lower acquisition costs than mobile apps, validating the efficacy of the messaging gaming model.
Jest’s Marketplace and Revenue Model
However, Jest isn’t just about simplifying gaming in messaging; it’s also building a marketplace specifically tailored to these unique gaming experiences. A striking feature that sets Jest apart is its revenue model, which offers game developers a generous 90/10 split, with 90% of the revenue going directly to them. This is a stark contrast to the typical 30% commission charged by traditional app stores and presents an enticing new opportunity for game studios.
There is also an in-built smart network effect. If one studio acquires a user, but another studio monetizes them, the economic costs are shared: 70% for the monetizing studio, 20% for the acquiring studio, and 10% for Jest.
Investment and Expansion Plans
Jest’s seed funding, led by Innovation Endeavors, will be used to scale the platform and onboard the first group of game studios. To further boost its growth, Jest has launched a dedicated Games Fund to support studios at every stage of franchise development on the platform. The fund will deploy capital at three levels: $1 million for flagship titles, $200,000 for promising mid-stage titles, and $40,000 for exploratory projects and experimental concepts.
Currently, Jest is available only in the United States, but it is planning to expand to 14 additional countries by Q3 2026.
In conclusion, Jest brings a fresh perspective to mobile gaming, introducing a more user-friendly and developer-friendly platform. With its innovative approach, it’s certainly a startup to keep an eye on in the gaming industry. [source]
