For years now, when we think of mobile gaming, we think of app stores. Developers invest countless hours, months, or even years creating games just to surrender a significant portion — up to 30% — of their earnings to major players like Apple and Google. However, a newcomer has entered the scene, aiming to revolutionize this model. Meet Jest , a marketplace for messaging games that recently emerged from stealth with $7 million in seed funding. Jest believes that the future of mobile gaming distribution won’t come from an app store, but rather from within the messaging app.  Jest’s launch coincides with the rise of Rich Communication Services (RCS), an enhanced version of SMS that enables more engaging experiences through rich media, interactive features, and embedded payments.  With RCS adoption growing, the landscape is shifting. In 2024, Apple joined the RCS movement with iOS 18 , and by May 2025, RCS was supporting over a billion messages daily in the U.S., according to Google .…