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

"Mobile game developers have largely been locked into app store distribution as the primary way to reach players. 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. We're building on an interaction pattern people already use every day."

"Jest offers users the ability to send games directly in their chat threads, without having to visit an app store. Games launch in the web browser and require Wi-Fi to play. This convenience is particularly impactful as consumers are downloading fewer games, with mobile games downloaded 39.4 billion times in 2025, reflecting an 8.6% year-over-year decline."

Jest is a new gaming marketplace that leverages Rich Communication Services (RCS) to distribute games through messaging apps rather than traditional app stores. The platform allows developers to reach players directly in their messaging inboxes, where users already spend significant time, while retaining more revenue than the 30% commission taken by Apple and Google. Jest's emergence aligns with RCS adoption growth, including Apple's iOS 18 support and over one billion daily RCS messages in the U.S. by May 2025. This approach addresses declining mobile game downloads, which fell 8.6% in 2025. Games launch in web browsers and require Wi-Fi, offering convenience without app store friction.

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