Games publisher and developer Kwalee has partnered with Story Giant Games to become the new publisher of crossword puzzles and storytelling mobile game Text Express: Word Adventure.

The partnership marks Kwalee's debut in the casual mobile games arena, broadening its portfolio and continuing its mission to create games for players worldwide.

Text Express: Word Adventure offers “stress-free" word search gameplay with thousands of crossword levels and daily challenges to help expand vocabulary. Players can decorate Tilly's train, explore various locations, and shape the narrative through immersive stories. By leveraging their expertise, Kwalee aims to scale Text Express using advanced user acquisition methods.

The game has won Best Mobile Puzzle Game at the Pocket Gamer Awards 2022 and earned a Game of the Year nomination at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2023.

A step in the right direction

Kwalee's VP of mobile publishing John Wright says the partnership brings Text Express into the spotlight as the game represents the company's commitment to promote games and “be the developer’s champion."

“Drawing on the lessons we’ve learnt launching over 100 games, we're bullish about the potential of Text Express - it’s an incredibly fun and heartwarming game that players will love," said Wright.

Story Giant Game's game director Tj’ièn Twijnstra comments that “Partnering with Kwalee is a huge opportunity for us at Story Giant Games to bring Tilly’s heartwarming journey to players all around the globe!," calling the game “a true gem that deserves to be seen by everyone."

To find out more about what Kwalee looks for when working with new developers, we interviewed the company's publishing manager Sayeed Rahman who also spoke to us about market challenges and the company's new focus on the MENA region.