Rovio is using its third-party publishing division to compete with King.
The Angry Birds developer is releasing Jolly Jams for iOS today under its Rovio Stars label. It’s a colorful match-3 puzzle game from developer Magic Tavern. Players take on bosses by trying to put together matching fruits. Like King’s Candy Crush Saga, you’ll see a lot of animations, explosions, and other kinds of feedback to keep you feeling good about the action.
Candy Crush Saga is one of the top-grossing games in the world, and a number of other titles — including similar apps from King — have failed to re-create its success. But Rovio, with its strong base of fans from its megapopular line of Angry Birds games, is one of the few publishers that could potentially drive gamers to a competitor.
This is the latest effort and fourth release from Rovio Stars. The publishing division has previously helped launch Tiny Thief, Juice Cubes, and Plunder Pirates. As part of this program, Rovio helps studios build their games and then also helps them with distribution. That includes featuring new Rovio Stars releases in other Rovio properties. With around 200 million monthly active players, that can make a big difference for a new app.