Finnish Game Jam

05/09/2024

⚛ Quantum Game Jam 10 Years Celebration!

We invite you to join us for this epic game jam on September 13-15 online!

👾 13-15.09 - Quantum Game Jam 2024 Register on itch.io:

https://itch.io/jam/quantum-game-jam-2024

🎉 To celebrate this milestone, in collaboration with Department of Computing at Turun yliopisto - University of Turku and IGDA Future program of IGDA Finland, we are organizing a one-day IT conference “ENTANGLE: Bridging Quantum and Classical Computing” in Turku with line of esteemed guest speakers. Students can get a study credit for participating at the conference and the game jam.

➡ For more information visit quantumgamejam.org

30/08/2024

🆕 This August we prototyped a new game jam! 🆕

ProtoKoli combines the magic of Finnish nature with game making, all organized around the sense of community. Originally envisioned as an event for game industry professionals and game dev educators, in the spirit of game jamming ProtoKoli warmly welcomes everyone.
The first edition of the jam took place between 16th and 21st of August, combined with the GMTK game jam which was going on at the same time. This gave an added spice to the event, with the jam theme becoming “Built to scale”. Overall, one game has been published, however, ProtoKoli brought a lot more.

Over a course of 4 days we had:
🏡 1 cottage with sauna, mixed with
🏞 1 pure water lake with warm water, hosting
🎲 1 game jam lasting for 4 days and 6 nights, in
- Awesome amounts of warm atmosphere, for
😏 9 people (which of 7 at the same time), releasing
🎮 1 game, additionally making
📜 5+ prototypes, and also
👾 148 pixel art sprites, with
⬛ 62,312 lovingly handcrafted pixels, that required
- Kilos of delicious food to feed hungry jammers, including
🍳 46 eggs in 4 days and 6 nights of cooking, with surprisingly only
☕2 packets of coffee consumed, because we also achieved
🚶‍♀️7 km hiked up a hill (vaara), though we did have
🏃‍♀️ 1 morning runner, with
👨‍💻 3 late night devs, and
💤 at least 3 not-so-morning-people, ending in
🕚 11 AM as the average breakfast time.

However, if by reading all this you thought that four days is a really long time, you are sort of correct. But then, do you know how awesome Koli is?

To follow and combine the two themes of the event, on Saturday, August 17th, we scaled (= climbed) the vaara of Käränkä, during a hill-climbing forest walk. We testify - the berries are tastier high up in the mountains!

On Sunday, we went on to climb the most iconic mountain of Koli, right at the national landscapes. Some of our attendants had to leave early, so climbing Ukko-Koli was in a way ending the first part of the game jam.

We also got to enjoy some amazingly tasty food (that we made all by ourselves – special love goes out to our food preppers

09/08/2024

👾 Wow what a jam it was! Assembly Game Jam 2024 happened again and it was amazing!

💥 Thursday through Sunday 41 participants have been working on their jam entries themed “The Other Side”. Puzzle adventures, action packed shooters, escape rooms, movement puzzles, and more - for 16-bit consoles, for Nintendo Wii, and of course for PC - altogether 14 games have been made. And these games are notably gorgeous, fun, and creative!
✨ Impressive how much jammers are able to achieve within 60 (and a half) hours of ASM Game Jam, also participating in fantastic Assembly events!
They deserve your appreciation - go play their games at https://itch.io/jam/asm-game-jam-2024/entries

💖 We would like to say special thank you to the volunteers of ASM Jam 2024 for their great contribution - success of our events strongly depend on it!

👀 And if you missed the whole show - here are some pictures from the event! And don't worry, we will have more great jams soon. Stay tuned!

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

17/07/2024

📢 In just a couple of weeks ASM Game Jam will launch at one of Finland's biggest gaming, esports, and digital culture festival Assembly! Are you with us?

🕹 🎮 ⌨ As a jammer you will be provided a computer place from the ASM Jam table for making your jam game and granted full access to the Assembly festival itself (including the sleeping hall where you can rest your eyes overnight)! Get the jammer ticket right now (it is cheaper than the Assembly ticket)! Got the Assembly ticket already? Then register as a jammer for free!

🎫 Schedule and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.fi/e/asm-game-jam-24-tickets-936986661327

04/07/2024

⏰🎉 Ready, set, game! 🕹️🚀 ASM Game Jam is coming to the Assembly ‘24 again to fuel your passion for game development in August 1-4, 2024!

Whether you're a student, professional, or just love games, this jam is for you! Choose your technology, form a team or come with your teammates, and dive into the ultimate creative frenzy.

🎫 Tickets are available at: https://www.eventbrite.fi/e/asm-game-jam-24-tickets-936986661327?aff=oddtdtcreator

❣ Grab a free ticket if you already have Assembly ticket purchased OR buy a jammer ticket (for almost half the Assembly ticket price!!!) and get full access to Assembly Summer 2024, a computer place from our ASM Game Jam table, and of course access to ASM Game Jam!

Assembly Game Jam is here! A game jam brings together all types of game devs, amateurs, professionals and students to innovate new games!

02/07/2024

Pride Game Jam Helsinki 2024 has been fantastic in so many ways!
💜 For the jammers’ benefit, education and entertainment, we arranged talks by these wonderful people:
Siikku Kiiveri with an intro to the venue activities and how Pelitalo is creating safe space for the youth;
Wanda O Rlywandaorly about open q***rness at work, and what it affects and doesn’t affect (and we had a chance to peek at their cat 😻);
Miikka Harjuntausta about inspiring projects from past Pride jams (Miikka is a serial jammer and has participated in all 5 Pride jams!);
Nova Salmivaara honored us with a visit on-site and discussed the LGBTQIA+ representation in games;
Licia Prehn expressed their profound professional view on the corporate pride matters;
Natasha Skult inspired the jammers with a talk about how to use jams for personal and career growth, and how to turn jam projects into commercial ones.
💙 Thank you all for taking your time during such a hectic weekend and being able to join us, your contribution is invaluable!
💚 We arranged a FGJ parade block and walked side by side with other game dev companies and organizations - hope to see more of you next year (the block is not exclusive for the Pride jammers and welcomes all of you!).

💛 Our utterly talented artists have done a great job at creating the merch and materials for all the visuals you could see in relation to the Pride Game Jam 24. The cute characters received multiple compliments, thank you Bee and Kia Korkala! (Online jammers, your thank you package is already on the way to the address you provided during registration!)

🧡 Finnish Game Jam would like to once again express endless gratitude to our partners and sponsors:
and for the invaluable financial support and long-term commitment to make Pride Game Jams happen.
City of Helsinki and for providing the most perfect venue.
We hope to continue collaboration with each of you in future ❣

💘 And of course we thank all JAMMERS 2024! The most important element of every jam is of course the people. 40 active jammers have delivered 10 games, each with a unique pride twist (the link to itch.io in the slides).
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!🌈

27/06/2024

🎊 Pride Game Jam Helsinki 2024 will launch in less than 24 hours, and here is a sneak peek at our special guests and their talks:

❣ Wanda O Rly "Openly q***r at work"
❣ Licia Prehn "Recontextualizing Corporate Pride: What I've leearnt working in DEI"
❣ Natasha Skult "Game jams, Indie Dev, and Career"
and more!

AND JOIN OUR PARADE BLOCK ON SATURDAY! forms.gle/hiQACZF1JctJFKCJ9

24/06/2024

🌈HAPPY PRIDE WEEK AND WELCOME TO THE FGJ PRIDE PARADE BLOCK!

🎉To celebrate anniversary of the Pride Game Jam we booked a Pride parade block, and we welcome everybody, not only jammers, to join the party! The capacity is limited so we kindly ask you to register. We will be marching in block 7 with other game dev companies and organisations!
Hope to see you there ❤️
Reserve your spot:

Finnish Game Jam ry would like to invite you to parade in our block at the Helsinki Pride Parade 2024! We will parade in block 7, next to other game dev companies and organisations and we will be happy to see you there as well! Reserve your spot using this form - parade block capacity is limited.

20/06/2024

🌈 Pride Game Jam is coming! It is the 5th time already that we organize this vibrant 3-day marathon that celebrates LGBTQIA+ people by creating a safe space where participants can create art, music, and, of course, games. And this year we have invited special guests and even booked a parade block - details will be announced after Midsummer! 🌞

🎫 Register at Eventbrite (it is completely free!) https://www.eventbrite.fi/e/pride-game-jam-hki-2024-tickets-918676545277 and join

19/06/2024

"🦄𝐽𝑎𝑚𝐽𝑎𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟" - was probably one of the most repeated descriptions of JamJam last weekend! And these are not just words, it is shared experience of majority of JamJam attendants.
That is why so many of us come to JamJam repeatedly.
💥 JamJam2024 was once again a blast, with so many happennings that one retrospective post wouldn't fit description of them all (comment on what events were not mentioned!).

There were multiple workshops held - some educational and some entertaining:
💃 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐩 workshop on dancing to Fallout-style music
🤺 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 workshop to try being a medeival knight for a day
🃏 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐤-𝐚-𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 workshop where participants were creating their own board games
👾 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 on possibilities and limitations of retro consoles for modern game making
and many more

🤝 We in game industry like to spend even leasure time efficiently, so naturally there were various jams retrospectives and planning, and other associations' meetings, too. Organizers, producers, collaborators, and volunteers discussed the past and the future of 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐬, and many more, and brought new insights, ideas, and projects to the table. Jam stories from the past will be featured in the book of jam stories initiated by Annakaisa Kultima, the FGJ Legacy and Vision deputy. And yes, there was a workshop on this 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, too!

👍 Our sponsors also used time at JamJam to their advantage: IGDA Finland hub leads had a rare in-person meeting, W Love Games celebrated their 2nd birthday, and Game Makers of Finland had a lot of fun and networking moments.

❣ 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑠 this year go to a lot of amazing people - JamJam would not be happening without you: volunteers Andreas Marcato, Pernilla Mickos, Paju Ahtiainen, Antti Keinänen, Mikael Joensuu, Roosa Alitalo, Abdennour Kouider Araibi, Kaisa Hiltunen, grill master Henri Sarasvirta, driver Jesse Rinneranta, photographer Casimir Kuusela

07/06/2024

🦄 Only one week left till JamJam, our annual get together event, kicks off! Here is a sneak peek of the talks, workshops, and other activities, that we have planned for the weekend:

👉 Improving Team Formation in Game Jams by Pedro Santoro Zambon
🎨 Steal Like an Artist – Where Your Ideas Really Come From by Juho Korhonen
📔 Story Jams by Jarory de Jesus
🐄 Pinecone Cow Workshop with Marika Mustalahti
👾 PixelCraft 2.0 with Irina Kekman
🕐 Traditional JamJam 1h Jam with Henri Sarasvirta
🌳 Frisbee golf with Teemu Kokkonen
➕ Lightning talks, tabletop games, karakoe and MORE!

The tickets include 🏘 accommodation in comfortable cottages for 2 nights, 🍜 3 meals/day, and of course ♨ saunas and hottubs. WE HAVE A FEW TICKETS LEFT - reserve your spot and spend an unforgetttable weekend with us!

🎟

Welcome to Jam Jam 2024! Jam Jam is a festival and retreat for game jam organizers and anyone interested in learning and discussing jams.

05/06/2024

🌈🎮 Exciting News! Registrations for the 5th annual Pride Game Jam Helsinki are now OPEN! 🎮🌈

Join us for an unforgettable weekend of creativity, inclusion, and community.

📅 WHEN: June 28-30, 2024
🗺 WHERE: on-site in Pelitalo Sture, Helsinki OR from your cozy sofa online
👉 REGISTRATION: https://www.eventbrite.fi/e/pride-game-jam-hki-2024-tickets-918676545277

Whether you are a seasoned professional or a passionate hobbyist, you are warmly welcome to participate in this celebration of creativity and diversity. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of something truly special! Sign up now and let's make this year's Pride Game Jam the best one yet!

🏳️‍🌈🎮✨
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04/06/2024

In the end of May Jenna Toivonen, a member of the FGJ, attended the Nordic Game Conference in Malmö, Sweden. The main event took place from May 21st to May 24th, with the pre-conference starting a few days earlier, including a small game jam.

The Nordic Game Conference featured insightful talks from experienced developers and a large number of game demos from indie developers around the world. Some of the returning attendees noted that the number of demos in the developer showcase had significantly increased compared to previous years, with demos from both larger indie teams and solo developers. The developer showcase room was filled with laughter and passion for creativity and games throughout the event.

One of the conference highlights was the Nordic Game Awards, where various games from the Nordic countries were nominated for different categories. It was great to see the support and love shared for these games and developers across country borders, demonstrating the collaboration and support people have for each other within the game industry.

03/06/2024

🤩 Crossing Latitudes 2024 game jam is over, and we in Finnish Game Jam would like to thank everyone who jammed, followed the streams, supported their close ones, or otherwise was in this journey with us!
Altogether there were more than 100 livestream viewers, over 320 people joined the jam server, 25 teams were formed, and 18 games submitted! Great job 💪 and we wish to see you on our future jams! Keep creating! ✨

28/05/2024

Registration for the fifth Pride Game Jam will open soon! Keep an eye on our updates!

27/05/2024

Taitaja2024 Taitaja Mästare, the Finnish national championship Skills competition, took place successfully in Kuopio from May 21st to 23rd. As a sponsor for the 208 Game Production track, FGJ played a key role in the judging process. Olli Juhola served as the head judge, while Jani Gröhn represented FGJ.

Eight top pairs from the semifinals advanced to the finals, accompanied by their teacher coaches. These competitions foster a strong network among teachers, bringing innovation and improvements in vocational education throughout Finland.

In Taitaja, Game Production is practically a competitive game jam. Contestants showcase their skills by creating a project based on a given theme, which was "Sustainable Development". Genres such as strategy, puzzle, simulation, and 4X were available for creative integration, making for a tough technical challenge. Judging criteria encompassed the entire development process, from pre-production (design) and production (game build) to post-production (presentation). After an intensive three-day competition, the winners were announced:
Jade Wass / Joonatan Vähäkangas (Stadin AO)
Elias Heijari / Aleksi Puttonen (Careeria)
Anna Gorbunova / Hannu Pajunen (Sataedu)

The high quality of the entries once again raised the bar, and the judges and coaches expressed their admiration for the participants' efforts. It was heartwarming to see young, talented students excelling in a supportive environment. FGJ congratulates all winners and competitors for their outstanding efforts and results! We look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence at Taitaja2025 in Turku.

23/05/2024

One week left until the Crossing Latitudes Jam ! If you are from Finland, Brazil, or anywhere in between - join this cultural exchange jam. Everyone is welcome, no matter your background. Come meet fellow creators and dive into a unique fusion of Finnish and Brazilian creativity!
https://itch.io/jam/crossing-latitudes-2024

20/05/2024

On Thursday, May 16th, the Finnish Game Jam ry board members attended the Finnish Game Awards 2024 gala. As is tradition, the FGJ president, Teemu Kokkonen, awarded the Jampion of the Year award, this time to Laura Piispanen.
Teemu Kokkonen has also announced his retirement from the position as president. Teemu has held this function since 2020, and during his tenure, the FGJ organization has grown in numbers - despite the difficult challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. FGJ thanks Teemu for his service as president, especially as most of the current board members have joined thanks to him.
The new president of Finnish Game Jam ry is Jani Gröhn. Additionally the board also has a new vice president, Ren - . Finally, Irina Kekman joins the board, and was chosen for the new role of FGJ publicist.
Teemu Kokkonen remains on the board as a deputy member.
All FGJ board members, active and deputies likewise, are committed to and actively working towards making FGJ a safe community for all, and aim to ensure all of FGJ events are a safe space for everyone attending.

17/05/2024

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, and it is a good opportunity to support an important cause and sponsor our traditional Pride Game Jam! Reach out to Eddie Reyes for more information. https://www.facebook.com/wardo955

16/05/2024

Finnish Game Jam believes in the power of community and solidarity. Today we use our platform to stand with Palestine. Join us in raising awareness, visit www.sumud.fi and follow these Instagram accounts to stay informed and learn how you can help: and .fi

13/05/2024

🦄 Only one month left till we gather again at JamJam, and we hope to see you there, too! Accomodation, food, saunas, hottubs, talks, workshops, game jam, and life-long memories are included in the ticket price! (Psssst! Speakers get a discount!)

Meanwhile, enjoy this nostalgic video from the last year JamJam by Casimir Kuusela

Speaker applications: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_wuqWGqB730X3M9GgNb-jvv4UcdT02lZW_M0Duu2f7u-8Zg/viewform
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.fi/e/jam-jam-2024-tickets-801643375917
Program: https://www.finnishgamejam.com/jamjam-2024/

05/05/2024

We are thrilled to announce that Crossing Latitudes Jam organized by Finnish Game Jam and W Love Games in collaboration with the Brazil Embassy in Helsinki is approaching!
🗓️ Mark your calendars: 30.05 – 02.06.2024

For the second year we invite you to the exciting journey that transcends borders and bridges the gap between two vibrant gaming communities from Brazil and Finland. As the name of the jam indicates, we welcome everyone to be part of an extraordinary cross-cultural collaboration no matter where in the world you are!

Embrace the power of diversity and knowledge sharing as Finnish and Brazilian game developers and students unite for an incredible online event. Together, we’ll explore the rich tapestry of our two cultures, fostering connections, and sparking innovation in the gaming world.

Registration:
https://itch.io/jam/crossing-latitudes-2024

01/04/2024

If you see this post, you surely have heard of game jams, and maybe even participated in (and organized) them. Regardless of your experience with game jams, YOU can make an invaluable contribution to the future of jamming in Finland!

"How can I make contribution", you may ask. "By being one of our speakers or volunteers!", we tell you!

Join us at Jam Jam with your amazing stories about game jamming, ideas for jams improvement, and anything else you see valuable for the game industry and game jam community. https://forms.gle/AiWAD85czrQLLStB7

Or be our helping hands as one of event volunteers! https://forms.gle/aSBpULoQUqKhUTrL8

Jam Jam annually gathers organizers, jammers, and all individuals interested in games and game making to have a blast of a weekend together - to talk game jams, share experiences, network, enjoy summer with grills, saunas, and open air hottubs!

04/02/2024

JAM JAM 2024 TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! 🎉

🦄 What is Jam Jam?
Jam Jam is a yearly gathering for game jam organizers, jammers, and game enthusiasts. Originally it has been organized for everyone interested in learning, discussing and sharing ideas on game jams (and this purpose remains), but during the years of Jam Jams happening its entertainment program has extended into a full weekend festival and retreat for everybody who loves games.

🌟What Jam Jam can offer you if you are:
- a jam organizer: talks on game jams and jam games, tons of experience from fellow organizers to absorb;
- a jammer: opportunity to connect to other jammers, show off your jam project, talk about your experience;
- a game enthusiast: participate in or organize your own workshops and talks, bring your favorite board game, meet like-minded people, and so much more!

☑️What the standard ticket includes:
- entertainment program with talks and workshops about music, crafts, well-being, game jams, and more
- accommodation for 2 nights and food! (breakfast supplies, served lunch, barbeque dinner – all including vegan options)
- sauna and hot bathtub
- beautiful scenery in a cottage village in the middle of the Finnish forest on top of the Sappeenvuori mountain

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.fi/e/jam-jam-2024-tickets-801643375917
Workshop and speaker applications: https://forms.gle/4qV8keCkhcEEi4Ka7

Keep an eye on our socials for more information!