Rovio has launched a mobile game publishing initiative, Rovio Stars, which will bring third party games into its line-up of apps.

The initiative is intended to spotlight apps from smaller developers, and help them find a larger audience, while also expanding Rovios own mobile offering. Rovio will publish the games, and provide that last coat of polish, though its currently unclear how the deal will work in financial terms.

The first game to be published under the Rovio Stars program will be Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage, the fourth in a series of puzzle games for iOS and PC, developed by Nitrome, followed by 5 AntsTiny Thief.

“Rovio Entertainment has positioned itself as one of the powerhouses of mobile entertainment, so moving into publishing is a logical step for us at this point”, said Rovio’s EVP of Games Jami Laes. “We want to help our fans find quality entertainment among the more than 100,000 games available in app stores. That’s where Rovio Stars comes in.”