--- title: "White-label games for publishers: build, license or embed? · SIWA" description: "In-house builds, puzzle licensing or a white-label platform: the three ways to offer games on a news site, with their cost and time-to-launch trade-offs." canonical_url: "https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias" last_updated: 2026-10-27 locale: en meta: "og:description": "In-house builds, puzzle licensing or a white-label platform: the three ways to offer games on a news site, with their cost and time-to-launch trade-offs." "og:image": "https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/default.jpg?v=c9a0bbc0" "og:image:alt": "SIWA: 23 word and logic games, a new challenge every day." "og:image:height": "630" "og:image:type": image/jpeg "og:image:width": "1200" "og:title": "White-label games for publishers: build, license or embed?" "twitter:image": "https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/default.jpg?v=c9a0bbc0" "twitter:image:alt": "SIWA: 23 word and logic games, a new challenge every day." --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://dev.siwa.io/llms.txt) New models # White-label games for publishers: build, license or embed? A publisher that wants to offer games has three options: build them in-house, license puzzles or modules from a supplier, or embed a white-label platform. The right choice depends on your budget, your timeline and how much control you want over the game. Updated October 27, 2026 6 min read ## Key takeaways - Building in-house gives the most control but requires a product team and daily content production: Bloomberg did it for Alphadots in 2025. - Licensing is the press's historical model: according to INA, many titles from Prisma, Reworld and Ouest-France rely on RCI Jeux. - A hosted white-label platform cuts launch time down to an iframe embed, at the cost of depending on a supplier. - Supplier figures (plays, time spent) are sales claims: ask for references you can check. ## What are the three models? Publishers that offer online games follow one of three models, sometimes combined. | Model | How it works | Examples | | --- | --- | --- | | In-house build | The publisher designs, builds and feeds its own games | Bloomberg (Alphadots) | | Content or module licensing | A supplier delivers puzzles or embeddable games | RCI Jeux, Keesing, Amuse Labs | | White-label platform | A supplier hosts complete games, styled in the publisher's brand | RCI Jeux (web offer), Arkadium, SIWA | The line between licensing and white-label is blurry: most suppliers offer both. The real questions are who produces the content, who runs the technology and who owns the relationship with the player. ## Building in-house: control, at what cost? Building in-house gives you a unique game, fully on brand, with complete control over data and experience. Bloomberg chose this route for Alphadots, a daily word puzzle conceived by crossword constructor Jeff Chen and designed and built by Bloomberg ([Bloomberg Media, September 2025](https://www.bloombergmedia.com/press/bloomberg-expands-game-offerings-with-launch-of-alphadots-a-daily-word-puzzle/)). The New York Times, which made games a pillar of its subscription, is the extreme case of this model; see [NYT Games and subscriptions](https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/nyt-games-abonnement). The cost goes well beyond the initial build. A daily game requires: - a product and engineering team to design, test and maintain it on mobile and desktop; - content production every single day, with editing; - tooling for analytics, player accounts, streaks and leaderboards; - protection against cheating if you show leaderboards. Few titles have those resources. INA's [La Revue des médias](https://larevuedesmedias.ina.fr/jeux-en-ligne-un-casse-tete-rentable-pour-les-titres-de-presse) notes that most outlets "do not have an in-house puzzle setter." Those that do, such as Le Nouvel Obs, usually rely on an author for content, not on a dedicated product team. A variant is acquiring a game that already exists. The Atlantic brought in Bracket City, an independent game, in April 2025; its daily plays have more than tripled since, according to the magazine ([Editor & Publisher, June 2025](https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/introducing-the-atlantic-games-a-digital-parlor-of-puzzles-and-play,256283)). ## Licensing puzzles or modules: the historical model Licensing is the most common model in the French press. According to INA, many titles from the Prisma, Reworld and Ouest-France groups use RCI Jeux, and Le Parisien sources part of its games there. RCI Jeux describes itself as a game creator for more than 40 years and delivers turnkey games adapted to each client's audience and brand ([RCI-Jeux](https://www.rci-jeux.com/)). Its web offer, on a page dated 2016, covers games hosted on its servers, embedded by iframe with the client's logo and colors, and administered by RCI ([RCI-Jeux, Triple Play](https://www.rci-jeux.com/tripleplay.html)). That is white-label in all but name. Internationally, the market is consolidating. Keesing Media Group, which calls itself the world's largest puzzle and braintainment company, acquired HTML5 studio CoolGames in 2023 so its media clients could offer "a much broader selection of both puzzles and casual games" ([CoolGames, July 2023](https://www.coolgames.com/2023/07/06/keesing-media-group-acquires-coolgames-to-expand-into-casual-games-and-new-game-platforms/)). Other suppliers sell a tool rather than a catalog. Amuse Labs' PuzzleMe lets you create your own puzzles and embed them on your site, with customizable colors, fonts and masthead, plus built-in analytics. It features testimonials from The Washington Post and The Boston Globe ([Amuse Labs](https://amuselabs.com/)). Finally, Arkadium claims more than 200 games and says its titles power the games sections of USA Today, AARP, The Washington Post, Microsoft and The Independent ([Arkadium](https://www.arkadium.com/)). Again, that is the supplier's own description. ## How do cost and time compare? None of these suppliers publishes a price list, and we will not invent one. The differences are best read as rough orders of magnitude: | Criterion | In-house | Puzzle licensing | Hosted white-label | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Time to launch | Several months | A few weeks (integration needed) | A few hours to a few days | | Upfront cost | High (product team) | Low to medium | Low | | Recurring cost | Team and content | Subscription or per-puzzle fee | Subscription | | Control over the game | Full | Presentation | Styling and options | | Daily production | Yours | Supplier | Supplier | | Player data | Yours | Depends on the contract | Depends on the contract | Building in-house makes sense when the game is meant to become a product in its own right, with a team to keep it alive. To test your audience's appetite or launch a games section quickly, licensing or white-label is the more reasonable choice. The related revenue models are covered in [monetizing online games](https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/monetiser-jeux-en-ligne). ## What should you ask a supplier? Before signing, check at least the following: - **language**: are word games designed in the target language, with a suitable dictionary, or translated? - **refresh**: is there a new puzzle every day, the same for everyone? - **styling**: colors, fonts, logo, dark theme; - **player identity**: do readers need an account with the supplier, or can they play with their account on your site? - **data**: which stats do you get, who owns them, what happens when the contract ends? - **security**: who can embed your games on sites other than yours? - **references**: clients you can actually call, rather than aggregate figures. ## Where does SIWA fit? SIWA is a white-label platform for daily games. In practice: - **16 word and logic games**, including word games designed in French, with a new puzzle every day, the same for everyone; - **iframe embedding**, one line of code to paste on your page, with your space set up within 24 hours; - **a dedicated subdomain** and styling in your colors, with logo, font, light and dark themes; - **an allowlist of domains**, so your games can only be embedded on your own sites; - **optional features**: streaks, leaderboards, leagues, archives, timer, player accounts; - **the option to let readers play with their account on your site**, without creating a SIWA account; - **a dashboard** with daily active users, sessions, completion rate and top games. As with any white-label solution, SIWA means handing technology and content to a supplier. Integration steps are in the [integration guide](https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/integrer-jeux-site-guide), and the offer is on the [SIWA for business](https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro) page. ## Sources 1. [Jeux en ligne : un casse-tête rentable pour les titres de presse](https://larevuedesmedias.ina.fr/jeux-en-ligne-un-casse-tete-rentable-pour-les-titres-de-presse) La Revue des médias (INA) · 2024-04-05 2. [RCI-Jeux : l'offre Triple Play c'est le print, le web et le mobile](https://www.rci-jeux.com/tripleplay.html) RCI-Jeux · 2016 3. [RCI-Jeux : le spécialiste créateur de jeux de chiffres et de lettres](https://www.rci-jeux.com/) RCI-Jeux · 2026 4. [Keesing Media Group acquires CoolGames to expand into casual games and new game platforms](https://www.coolgames.com/2023/07/06/keesing-media-group-acquires-coolgames-to-expand-into-casual-games-and-new-game-platforms/) CoolGames · 2023-07-06 5. [Amuse Labs | Online Puzzle Maker](https://amuselabs.com/) Amuse Labs · 2026 6. [Arkadium | 200+ Free Online Games to Play Now](https://www.arkadium.com/) Arkadium · 2026 7. [Bloomberg Expands Game Offerings with Launch of Alphadots, a Daily Word Puzzle](https://www.bloombergmedia.com/press/bloomberg-expands-game-offerings-with-launch-of-alphadots-a-daily-word-puzzle/) Bloomberg Media · 2025-09-29 8. [Introducing The Atlantic Games: a digital parlor of puzzles and play](https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/introducing-the-atlantic-games-a-digital-parlor-of-puzzles-and-play,256283) Editor & Publisher · 2025-06-17 ## Frequently asked questions
What is a white-label game? It is a game built and hosted by a supplier but presented under the publisher's brand: its colors, logo and site. The publisher embeds it, often through an iframe, without having to build it.
How much does a white-label game cost? Suppliers rarely publish prices, which depend on the number of games, audience size and options. Get quotes from several suppliers and compare them with the internal cost of building.
How long does it take to launch games? With a white-label platform, the technical integration is a single iframe and can take a few hours. An in-house build takes much longer, because the game has to be designed, developed and fed with new content every day.
Can you switch from one model to another? Yes. Many titles start with licensing or white-label to test their audience's appetite, then build their own game once usage is established.
## Daily games on your site? Let's talk about your audience: we'll show you what SIWA can bring, with figures. [Email us](mailto:hello@siwa.io) [See the pro offer](https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro) ## Read next [New models

Gamification and loyalty

Points, tiers, challenges, daily games: what research and cases from brands, banks and publishers say about gamification for loyalty, with evidence and limits.Read the article](https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/gamification-fidelisation) [ Retention

Daily games and retention

One puzzle a day, short, the same for everyone: what data from The New York Times, The Times and French publishers says about games and reader loyalty.Read the article](https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-quotidiens-retention-audience) [ Platforms

Reddit, Discord and games

Reddit builds games into posts, Discord opened Activities to every developer. What these platforms are after, and the figures they have published so far.Read the article](https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-reddit-discord-communautes) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#identity","@type":"Organization","email":"hello@siwa.io","name":"SIWA","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/","logo":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#logo"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#website","@type":"WebSite","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"SIWA","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/","publisher":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#identity"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#webpage","dateModified":"2026-10-27","datePublished":"2026-10-27","description":"In-house builds, puzzle licensing or a white-label platform: the three ways to offer games on a news site, with their cost and time-to-launch trade-offs.","name":"White-label games for publishers: build, license or embed?","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias","@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#breadcrumb"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#website"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#/schema/question/1"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#/schema/question/2"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#/schema/question/3"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#/schema/question/4"}],"potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias"]}],"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#logo"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#article","@type":"Article","dateModified":"2026-10-27","datePublished":"2026-10-27","description":"In-house builds, puzzle licensing or a white-label platform: the three ways to offer games on a news site, with their cost and time-to-launch trade-offs.","headline":"White-label games for publishers: build, license or embed?","inLanguage":"en","mainEntityOfPage":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias","thumbnailUrl":"https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/default.jpg?v=c9a0bbc0","author":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#identity"},"citation":[{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Jeux en ligne : un casse-tête rentable pour les titres de presse","url":"https://larevuedesmedias.ina.fr/jeux-en-ligne-un-casse-tete-rentable-pour-les-titres-de-presse","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"La Revue des médias (INA)"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"RCI-Jeux : l'offre Triple Play c'est le print, le web et le mobile","url":"https://www.rci-jeux.com/tripleplay.html","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"RCI-Jeux"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"RCI-Jeux : le spécialiste créateur de jeux de chiffres et de lettres","url":"https://www.rci-jeux.com/","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"RCI-Jeux"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Keesing Media Group acquires CoolGames to expand into casual games and new game platforms","url":"https://www.coolgames.com/2023/07/06/keesing-media-group-acquires-coolgames-to-expand-into-casual-games-and-new-game-platforms/","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"CoolGames"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Amuse Labs | Online Puzzle Maker","url":"https://amuselabs.com/","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Amuse Labs"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Arkadium | 200+ Free Online Games to Play Now","url":"https://www.arkadium.com/","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Arkadium"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Bloomberg Expands Game Offerings with Launch of Alphadots, a Daily Word Puzzle","url":"https://www.bloombergmedia.com/press/bloomberg-expands-game-offerings-with-launch-of-alphadots-a-daily-word-puzzle/","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Bloomberg Media"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Introducing The Atlantic Games: a digital parlor of puzzles and play","url":"https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/introducing-the-atlantic-games-a-digital-parlor-of-puzzles-and-play,256283","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Editor & Publisher"}}],"image":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#/schema/image/1"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#webpage"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#identity"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#breadcrumb","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Home","item":"https://dev.siwa.io/en","position":1},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Pro","item":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro","position":2},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Resources","item":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources","position":3},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"White-label games","position":4}]},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#/schema/question/1","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"What is a white-label game?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It is a game built and hosted by a supplier but presented under the publisher's brand: its colors, logo and site. The publisher embeds it, often through an iframe, without having to build it."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#/schema/question/2","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"How much does a white-label game cost?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Suppliers rarely publish prices, which depend on the number of games, audience size and options. Get quotes from several suppliers and compare them with the internal cost of building."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#/schema/question/3","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"How long does it take to launch games?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"With a white-label platform, the technical integration is a single iframe and can take a few hours. An in-house build takes much longer, because the game has to be designed, developed and fed with new content every day."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/pro/ressources/jeux-marque-blanche-medias#/schema/question/4","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Can you switch from one model to another?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Many titles start with licensing or white-label to test their audience's appetite, then build their own game once usage is established."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#logo","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"SIWA","contentUrl":"https://dev.siwa.io/logo-siwa.svg","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/logo-siwa.svg"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#/schema/image/1","@type":"ImageObject","contentUrl":"https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/default.jpg?v=c9a0bbc0","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/default.jpg?v=c9a0bbc0"}]} ``` ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](https://dev.siwa.io/sitemap.md) for all pages.