Russian social network VKontakte has launched a new mobile-based HTML5 platform called Direct Games.

Titles can be accessed directly through the VK app without the need for installation, somewhat similar to how Facebook Instant Games works.

The platform currently consists of 10 games and is now available for Android users. An iOS version of the platform is expected in the near future.

Direct Games offers an opportunity for developers to get their titles played by a portion of the social network’s reported 410 million+ users.

Early adopter

One company part of the launch lineup is KamaGames, which has released a HTML5 version of its social casino game Pokerist on the platform.

“VK is an exciting and extremely popular social network in the CIS region with a particularly strong dominance of the Russia market,” KamaGames Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer Daniel Kashti told PocketGamer.biz in an interview.

“It comes as no surprise that the platform hosts some of the most engaged players in the world.

“Given Pokerist’s extensive and highly engaged user-base in the region, and VK's vision for their platform and the monetisation functionalities that it offers, it made an excellent fit for KamaGames’ new HTML5 release.”