Global Game Jam has opened the registration for the locations of the next Global Game Jam. The next year’s biggest game jam event will have hundreds of locations from all over the world. If you want to organize a game jam in your town, you can apply now!

Finnish GGJ locations are part of the co-operation organized by Finnish Game Jam ry. If you have a brand new location for the next GGJ or you are not yet part of the co-operation for some other reasons, contact us to gain help, instructions and the support of your peers. Contact our president and coordinator Annakaisa Kultima (aakoo[a]finnishgamejam.fi) for further information.

Finnish Game Jam ry is organizing a game jam event at Assembly now for the second time. ASM JAM ’14 is open to everyone participating in Assembly Summer 2014. You can jam from wherever you wish inside the party venue with a normal ticket, or you can buy a special Game Jam computer place ticket which grants you a place near the other jammers.

The jam starts on Thursday at 18.00 and ends on Sunday at 06.00 but you can join whenever is suitable for you. Teams are made on site so join along by yourself or with friends.

The topic will be released on Thursday and it will be the same for everyone. The jam is a game development event, not a competition. That means you can go and try to create some of your wildest ideas. So, make a game in one weekend from an idea to a playable game. Qapla’!

The timetable is subject to change.

More info: vesa.raudasoja@finnishgamejam.fi

We want to thank everyone who stood against the IeSF on the issue of men-only tournaments and those who supported our message to the Assembly organisers to not take part in events supporting discriminating practices. Due to the vocal gamer community and the outrage in social media and news, the IeSF moved quickly and changed their eSports gender policies. Following the IeSF’s rule change, the IeSF competitions at Assembly are now open for everyone. This is an important achievement for eSports, the gaming community and equality in general.

We would like to emphasise that FGJ will never be part of any event which supports – directly or indirectly – any discrimination based on race, gender or sexuality and we are ready to act decisively in order to ensure an equal and comfortable game jamming environment for everyone.

Finnish Game Jam loves Assembly and we are happy to continue the organising process of ASM FGJ 14 to provide more opportunities for the jamming community to collaborate and share their passion for game development.

Stay tuned for the registration for ASM FGJ 14 – See you at Assembly Summer 2014!

Due to the recently publicised eSport issues at Assembly 2014, Finnish Game Jam ry has halted the organising process of the ASM FGJ 14 game jam, which was to be held at Assembly 2014. We are waiting for a response from the Assembly organisers and will re-evaluate our participation based on that. Finnish Game Jam ry would like to officially state that it will not be part of any event which will support, directly or indirectly, fully or partially, any racist or sexist practices.

Finnish Game Jam ry furthermore urges anyone embracing the values of game jams – equality, inclusivity and collaboration – to not take part in or support any gaming related events which will not allow participation regardless of gender, race or sexuality.

Finnish Game Jam ry
Annakaisa Kultima
Tatu Laine
Maiju Suutari
Kosti Rytkönen
Vesa Raudasoja
Kati Alha
Teemu Vilén

The first Junior Game Jam is organized on 18-20 of October 2013. Junior Game Jam is aimed at 13-17 year old people who are interested in game development. During the event, jammers create a game in small groups during one weekend. In addition to game making, the program includes workshops and visiting the Alternative Party. Signing up to the event has ended. Read more from here (only in Finnish).

The first Assembly game jam pilot project was a success: about 30 people jammed during the event, and 6 games were finished. Big thanks to all participants!

This was the first time that a game jam was arranged as part of the Assembly program, but it won’t be the last: plans are already in motion to take the pilot and make it into an annual tradition.

Download the games from Assembly news and check out some photos from here.

Next year, Finnish Game Jam will be organized for the fifth time. During these years we have learned a lot, grown quite a bit, and realized that we have something special going on in here. We started from three cities with about 100 participants – in 2013 there was 12 locations and over 500 jammers. We have grown to be the largest game development event in Finland.

We have had committed volunteers making this possible, and it was time to take the step to create an official association around the event. Thus now Finnish Game Jam is not just the event. Finnish Game Jam ry is a registered association, whose main purpose is to coordinate and organize the Finnish Game Jam event and to support the game jamming activity in Finland.