Finnish Game Jam 2026 Wrap‑Up: jammers and developers created 259 games and celebrated creativity

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Helsinki, Finland – February, 2026 – Finland’s largest game‑development marathon wrapped up on 1 February 2026, and the results are extraordinary. During the Finnish Game Jam 2026 (FGJ26), Finland’s edition of the worldwide Global Game Jam®, hundreds of hobbyists, students and professionals spent 48 hours creating new playable ideas around the theme “Mask”. According to the FGJ community’s post‑jam report, jammers across Finland created 259 games, with the Tampere Hybrid site generating the largest number of games (36) and Helsinki Arabia and Turku close behind (28 games each). Those 259 prototypes did not exist before the weekend, illustrating how a short, intense jam can generate an abundance of original ideas.

Participation and jam culture

Finland regularly ranks first in games created per capita during Global Game Jam. For FGJ26, the association expanded to more than a dozen public jam sites across the country, with additional invite‑only locations. Sites ranged from university labs to the Kuparitalo venue at the Finnish National Gallery, where participants could access the gallery’s CC0 art collection and open API to inspire their games

Theme and creative output

This year’s Global Game Jam theme— “Mask”—was chosen because of its multiple meanings and the creative possibilities it offers. Jammers embraced the theme in inventive ways. At the Tampere Hybrid site, teams produced 36 games exploring masks as physical artefacts, social identities and mechanical power‑ups. Helsinki Arabia and Turku each delivered 28 games, while sites from Jakobstad to Rovaniemi contributed dozens more. Collectively, the Finnish sites averaged roughly a dozen games each and included digital games, tabletop experiences and playful experiments. Many of the projects can be downloaded and played via the Global Game Jam website (see links below).

Post‑Play Party and community celebration

FGJ26 concluded with an IGDA Finland × Finnish Game Jam Post‑Play Party at Maxine in Helsinki on 10 February 2026. More than 300 attendees packed the venue to play‑test over ten fresh jam games and cheer on local creators. FGJ vice‑president Emil Ekroth and Communications lead Eddie Reyes hosted the event, spotlighting the community’s creativity and ensuring every team felt celebrated. The lively turnout underscored why Finland’s jam scene remains so vibrant: “people come together to create, share, make new friends and support each other”.

Play the games

Members of the public can explore many of the 259 games created during FGJ26 on the Global Game Jam website. The Finnish sites’ collections are available at:

FGJ – Kajaani (Hybrid) – GGJ26 games (https://globalgamejam.org/group/31516/games)

 – list of 23 games created at the Kajaani hybrid site.

FGJ – Helsinki Arabia – GGJ26 games (https://globalgamejam.org/group/31635/games)

 – list of 28 games produced at the Helsinki Arabia site.

Additional site collections are accessible via the Global Game Jam website’s search function.

Follow FGJ on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and our website for updates.

Finnish Game Jam expands to over 20 venues including the National Gallery, FGJ26 kicks off next Friday 30th of January.

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The countdown is on: Finnish Game Jam 2026 (#FGJ26) kicks off at the end of the month and is shaping up to be the largest jam in Finnish history. Running 30 January – 1 February 2026, the event synchronises with the Global Game Jam® and invites hobbyists, students and professionals to create games together in 48 hours.

Jam sites across Finland

This year’s edition features a record number of public jam sites, stretching from the capital region to Lapland. Participants can choose an in‑person, hybrid or online site, register via Eventbrite and start forming teams immediately. The confirmed locations include:

  • FGJ Jakobstad (in person) – Jakobstad
  • FGJ Ylivieska (in person) – Ylivieska
  • FGJ Lahti / SoSA ry (hybrid) – Lahti
  • GGJ/FGJ Rovaniemi (in person) – Rovaniemi
  • FGJ Kuopio (in person) – Kuopio
  • FGJ Jyväskylä Hybrid (hybrid) – Jyväskylä
  • FGJ Espoo Game LAB (in person) – Espoo
  • FGJ Turku (hybrid) – Turku
  • FGJ Tampere Hybrid (hybrid) – Tampere
  • FGJ Veikkaus (in person) – Helsinki
  • FGJ Finnish National Gallery Offices (in person) – Helsinki
  • FGJ Kajaani (hybrid) – Kajaani
  • FGJ Vaasa (in person) – Vaasa
  • FGJ26 LUT Lappeenranta (hybrid) – Lappeenranta
  • FGJ Porvoo Game Club (hybrid) – Porvoo
  • FGJ Helsinki Arabia (in person) – Helsinki
  • FGJ Oulu (in person) – Oulu
  • FGJ Kauhajoki (in person) – Kauhajoki

Two sites are also available by invitation for their specific communities (FGJ Riveria online and FGJ Kymenlaakso in person).


Registration is open now and FGJ encourages participants to secure their spot early. Teams can form in advance or on site. The jam welcomes beginners and experienced game creators alike; in 2025, more than one third of Global Game Jam participants were first‑time jammers. Join a jam here:

https://www.eventbrite.fi/o/finnish-game-jam-ry-6802261839

Record‑breaking participation expected

#FGJ26 builds on a strong legacy. Last year’s jam drew 1,088 jammers across 23 sites who produced 325 games. Finland regularly leads the world in games created per capita during the Global Game Jam and hosted more sites than any other Nordic country. Globally, the 2024 jam involved 34,649 participants at 796 sites in 102 countries, resulting in 9,964 games.

President’s welcome

“Finnish Game Jam has always been about bringing people together to experiment, learn and celebrate creativity,” says Jani, President of Finnish Game Jam ry. “This year I’m especially excited about sites like Kuparitalo at the Finnish National Gallery, where jammers will have free access to the Gallery’s CC0 art collection and open API to inspire their games. With so many unique venues and a supportive community, #FGJ26 will be our most inspiring jam yet. Whether you’re a first‑time jammer, last semester student or a seasoned pro, I warmly invite you to join us and experience the magic of making games together.”

Join the jam

Whether you want to prototype a new game, meet collaborators or simply experience the excitement of game creation, Finnish Game Jam 2026 offers a welcoming environment. Registration, site details and guidelines are available via the Finnish Game Jam Eventbrite page. Participants and organisers should act quickly: the jam begins on Friday, 30 January 2026, and spaces at each site are limited.


FGJ thanks its sponsors— Next Games, a Netflix studio, Housemarque, Supercell and MiTale, Fingersoft—for enabling this year’s jam.


Follow FGJ on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X for updates.

Don’t forget to tune in to our opening ceremony as well!

Finnish Game Jam created 325 games last year and the 2026 Global game jam is coming this January

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Finnish Game Jam 2026, the Finnish edition of the Global Game Jam, is taking place from 30 January to 1 February 2026. Find your nearest jam site and join!

Finnish Game Jam 2026 (#FGJ26) is part of the worldwide Global Game Jam (GGJ) where tens of thousands of participants design, develop and share games within a single weekend. In 2025 the FGJ united 1088 jammers at 24 sites across Finland, creating 325 games. Finnish Game Jam ry (FGJ) invites developers, students, hobbyists and partners across Finland to join FGJ 2026.

In 2025 the GGJ united 35,427 jammers at 805 sites in 98 countries, creating 12,100 games.

Finland consistently ranks first in games created per capita and has organised more GGJ sites and participants than all other Nordic countries combined.

Building on a record‑breaking 2025 event

The 2025 edition (#FGJ25) demonstrated Finland’s vibrant game‑making community: 1,088 jammers across 23 sites created 325 games. Jams were hosted from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and ranged from cosy forest cabins to elegant downtown offices. Earlier years show similar momentum: #FGJ20 (2020) gathered over 700 jammers at 32 sites producing 238 games, while #FGJ19 brought together 884 jammers who built 218 games. Finland’s dedication to nurturing creativity led the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture to award FGJ with the Suomi Award (Finland Award) in 2018, recognizing the organisation’s cultural impact.

Syncing with the world

#FGJ26 will run concurrently with GGJ’s 2026 jam week, allowing Finnish jammers to collaborate and share ideas with peers in more than 100 countries. Participants choose a local jam site or join online, form teams (or work solo), and develop a game from concept to completion in 48 hours. The jam welcomes beginners, hobbyists, students and professionals; past survey data from GGJ shows that 37 % of participants are first‑time jammers, highlighting the event’s accessibility.

Call for Finnish jam sites

FGJ is accepting site applications from universities, studios, libraries, community groups and companies interested in hosting #FGJ26 jams across Finland. Sites may be in‑person, online or hybrid, and organisers receive guidance from FGJ’s regional coordinators. In #FGJ26 the application deadline for Jam Site is early January, and we encourage prospective hosts to apply as soon as possible via the Global Game Jam site to ensure inclusion in official materials.

Confirmed partners and sponsorship opportunities

FGJ thanks its early sponsors for making #FGJ26 possible. Next Games: A Netflix Game Studio, Supercel, MiTale, Fingersoft and Visonist have already pledged their support, and additional partners will be announced.

About Finnish Game Jam

Finnish Game Jam ry (FGJ) is a non‑profit association founded in 2012 to organise game jam events and support game‑making culture in Finland. FGJ has organised hundreds of jams and training programmes and has collaborated with domestic and international partners. The association promotes inclusivity and experimental game development and was honoured with the Suomi Award in 2018. Finland ranks first globally in games made per capita during the Global Game Jam, reflecting the country’s thriving game community.

Contact

For site applications, sponsorship inquiries or media information, please contact:

Eduardo Reyes

Head of Communications & Partnerships, Finnish Game Jam ry

Email: eduardo.reyes@finnishgamejam.com

Emil Ekroth

Vice President of Finnish Game Jam ry

Email: emil.ekroth@finnishgamejam.com

Additional information and updates are available at finnishgamejam.com and FGJ’s social media channels.

About Global Game Jam: Global Game Jam® is the world’s largest game jam, bringing together tens of thousands of participants to create games around the same theme in a single weekend. The event fosters creativity, collaboration and experimentation and occurs simultaneously at sites around the world.

Spaceship Game Jam will launch soon!

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Spaceship Game Jam is not your ordinary jam! Unlike other space related jams and hackathons, this game jam isn’t just themed around space, it’s built together with European Space Agency, from the inside out. What does this mean for jammers? Expect talks from ESA scientists, access to real space data sets, and an extensive asset pack to bring your ideas to life!

Spaceship Game Jam official website: www.spaceshipgamejam.org
Also follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @spaceshipgamejam

A game jam organized by Finnish Game Jam and European Space Agency will take place in August 29-31, on mutiple sites (Spaceships) across Finland. Several sites already have registrations ongoing, and more will be announced soon.

Sites open for registration (more coming soon):

Helsinki
Kajaani
Jyväskylä
Outokumpu
Turku
Kuopio
Kauhajoki
Pori
Oulu

More info on the program and schedule coming soon!

Video games, demoscene and computer magic at ASM Game Jam!

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👻 🕹️  31.7 – 3.8.2025 🕹️ 👻

ASM Game Jam returns again to the biggest lan party and video game festival in Finland, Assembly Summer 2025! Whether you’re a beginner, student, professional or just love games, this jam is for you! Choose your technology, try something new, form a team or come with your teammates and enter a weekend full of game development, creative frenzy and a lot of fun!!1!

There are still some tickets left! 🎟️

You can join the jam by buying a Jammer ticket from our Eventbrite page: https://asmjam25.eventbrite.fi/

Jammer ticket includes a premium computer place and access to Assmebly for the whole duration of the event!

Or if you already have a computer place at Assembly you can get a free jammer ticket and join the jam from your own table!

Find more information about the jam from our Eventbrite!

See you at Assembly!

Scholarship to Slavic Game Jam

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Finnish Game Jam ry is excited to announce our next jam scholarship opportunity – this time for Slavic Game Jam 2025, taking place in Warsaw, Poland from August 1–3, 2025!

Slavic Game Jam stands out with its laid-back, non-competitive approach. There are no prizes or rankings, just a relaxed environment that encourages experimentation, creativity, and collaboration. It’s all about the joy of making games together – no pressure, just process. The event also features a vibrant community of creators from across Central and Eastern Europe, offering a fresh and inspiring jamming experience.

It’s possible to sleep on site! So you can stay close to the action, rest when needed, and fully immerse yourself in the weekend.

For more information visit slavicgamejam.org

The FGJ Scholarship includes:

  • A free ticket to Slavic Game Jam (includes three meals a day, snacks, and a t-shirt)
  • Up 300 EUR for travel and accommodation expenses (in exchange for receipts and a short travel report to be submitted within two weeks after the event).

This scholarship is open to anyone in Finland active in the game development community who wants to experience jamming abroad and share what they learn with others.

Apply by June 29, 2025: FGJ Scholarship to Slavic Game Jam 2025 Application form

Don’t miss this chance to jam internationally, expand your network, and grow your skills!

JamJam25 was fantastic – once again!

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🏘️ This weekend, a gamedev village popped up again in Sappee.
Over 70 jammers, speakers, volunteers, and game lovers came together for three days of inspiration, creation, and connection.

From deep dives into game jam culture and its future, to live karaoke, cozy saunas, and hot tubs – JamJam 2025 was everything we hoped it would be… and more.

💬 Talks ranged from industry job-hunting tips to hands-on advice for making games – and beyond.
🛠️ 20 (!) workshops for every kind of jammer:
– For crafters: Pixel art cross-stitching, linocut printing, and more
– For the sporty: Frisbee golf, martial arts, and other ways to move
– For gamers: Prototyping sessions, party games, and playful experimentation
– And of course, for jam organizers: the Jam Organizers’ Handbook Workshop gathered an astonishing crowd – thank you all for your insights and contributions!

🎮 The traditional 1-hour game jam saw 7 wild submissions – chaotic brilliance in action.

Each year, JamJam welcomes international guests, and this year was no exception. The Game Jam team from Poland (Anna Krawczuk, Beata Orlińska, Jan Krzyszkowski, and Maciej Pieniążek) joined us to exchange stories, build friendships, and explore cross-community collaboration. We clicked so well that Finnish Game Jam will soon announce a scholarship program for attending Slavic Game Jam – stay tuned for the next post, you won’t want to miss it!

A huge thank you to our partners and sponsors:
❤️ IGDA Finland – for championing the community
👾 Game Makers of Finland – for supporting jammers behind the scenes and on the ground
🍦W Love Games – for sticking with us through the years, and for the ice cream!

And of course, endless gratitude to those who brought the energy – you made this more than an event. You made it a community – again:

🫶 Volunteers: Andreas Marcato the master chef 🤌, Casimir Kuusela the dedicated photographer and videographer 📸, Milla Jerohin, Daria Khilchuk, Roosa Alitalo, Christopher Solis, Sakari Muhonen, Antti Keinänen, Elias Heijari, Anna Zibrova, Sara Seddighi, Anna-Ilona Nikolaeva – your dedication and hard work made this event flawless
🎤 Speakers: Anna Krawczuk, Axel Kulomaa, Mikael Paananen, Rama Hannula, Naomi Le – you make JamJam unforgettable bringing your wisdom and expertise!
And of course – many many thanks to all attendees!

✨ Until next time – keep jamming. Thank you for making JamJam 2025 as awesome as it was! ✨

A Game Jam Like No Other

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🚀 What happens when game jammers combine forces with the European Space Agency?
🔭 Find out at Spaceship Game Jam – our new unprecedented game jam happening in August 29-31, 2025! Follow Spaceship Game Jam on IG and TT: @spaceshipgamejam to be the first to know more!
🛰️ Want to sponsor or host a jamming site? Visit spaceshipgamejam.org

Finnish Game Awards 2025

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🏆 The Finnish Game Awards lit up last week with well-deserved recognition across the game industry AND community!
Finnish Game Jam association once again proved to play a significant role in the gamedev community. Not only we traditionally presented an award to the Jampion of the year, one of our members also received one as well!

🏅 IGDA presented The Lifetime Achievement Award to the long-term volunteer of IGDA, organizer of te IGDA Leadership Day, member of FGJ, and just an amazing individual – Christopher Hamilton.

✨ Jampion of the Year Award for the unmatched contribution to the scene and having organized over a dozen of game jams during the past year was presented to Ali Irdiren. Ali estblished a successful series of game jams with taste, Mehu Jams, and gathered a tight community around these consistent jams. Next Mehu Jam will happen on 6-8 June, join here: https://itch.io/jam/mehu-jam-12

Full list of winners and link to the ceremony stream can be found at Neogames’ YT channel (watch now).
Music performance by Game Music Collective.
Photos by Katariina Salmi and Irina Kekman.
Video by Irina Kekman.