IGDA Helsinki Presents:
March Meetup with Laavu Performance and Small Giant Games
11.03.2025

IGDA Helsinki March Meetup – Next Week!

At our March Meetup, we’ll explore what mental resilience means in our industry. How do we stay strong under creative pressure? How can leaders actively support their team's well-being?

Join us for a panel discussion with Tuire Korvuo (Laavu Performance), Salla Ibrahim (Laavu Performance) and Ari Kuokka (Small Giant Games), where they’ll share real experiences, expert insights, and practical strategies for building resilience that lasts. See you there!

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki March Meetup with Laavu Performance and Small Giant Games

WHEN:
Tuesday 11.03.
Doors open at 17:00
Program starts at 17:30

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax). Note that Maxine is a 18+ venue, hence you must be 18+ years of age to attend.

PROGRAM:
Panel: Leading Mental Resilience in The Gaming Industry - faciliated by Tuire Korvuo, panelists Salla Ibrahim and Ari Kuokka

Our March Demo Corner is already full. Come check out some cool demos and give feedback! 

At the Chat Corner, we’re excited to host an AMA session with Aki Kanerva from 19:30 to 20:30. 

It's time for the IGDA Finland Grant 2025! We had our first ever Grant last year (with the chosen game coming out this summer) and this year we’re continuing our program to support people starting their career in the industry with their first(ish) game! More details at the Meetup.

Panel: Leading Mental Resilience in The Gaming Industry
The world of gaming presents unique challenges to mental resilience. This panel explores what mental resilience means—both from a psychological perspective and through personal experiences. The panel will be facilitated by Tuire Korvuo, a psychologist at Laavu Performance with extensive experience supporting professionals in the gaming industry. Our panelists, Salla Ibrahim, the co-founder and co-CEO of Laavu Performance and Ari Kuokka, a design lead at Small Giant Games will discuss the biggest resilience challenges in the industry, how to break down stigma, and why mental well-being should be actively led, not just encouraged.

How can leaders foster resilience in their teams? What practical steps can individuals take to take care of their own mental resilience and maintain long-term well-being? Join us for an insightful conversation on balancing creativity, performance, and mental health in gaming.

Panelists
The panel will be facilitated by Tuire Korvuo, a psychologist at Laavu with extensive experience supporting professionals in the gaming industry. Tuire is passionate about helping individuals and teams balance ambition with psychological sustainability—one of the key challenges in the fast-paced world of gaming. 

The Chat Corner will be open and ready for chatting. We’re excited to host an AMA session with Aki Kanerva from 19:30 to 20:30. Aki (he/they) is a veteran indie developer, expert generalist, wearer of all the hats, and game startup mentor in LGIN and other incubators. He founded Virtual Air Guitar Company in 2006 and is currently CTO at Psyon Games. He speaks and translates people, processes, code, business, and marketing.

ACCESSIBILITY:
At IGDA Helsinki we strive for making our events accessible for everyone. We kindly ask all attendees to stay away from using strong perfumes or similar fragrances. The Meetups can be crowded at times, meaning that the sound volume can also become rather loud.

Maxine is wheelchair accessible. There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp. Accessible toilet can be found at the back of the space.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any type of accessibility of our Meetups, then please contact helsinki@igda.fi and we will do our best to assist you.

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
IGDA Helsinki x FGJ25 Post Play Party
11.02.2025

Our February meetup will be the annual Post Play Party together with Finnish Game Jam! This time, we’re gathering to celebrate Finland’s amazing jam culture and showcase the fantastic games created during this year’s #FGJ25.

Huge thanks to Next Games, A Netflix Game Studio whose sponsorship helped us keep this event free and accessible.

All games featured at the Demo Corner will be from this year’s GGJ/FGJ—so get ready to play and have fun!🕹️ #FGJ25 Jammer! If your team created a game during this year's #FGJ25/GGJ and want it to be at the Demo Corner, sign up using this link.

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki x FGJ25 Post Play Party

WHEN:
Tuesday 11.02.
Doors open at 17:00
Program starts at 17:30

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax). Note that Maxine is a 18+ venue, hence you must be 18+ years of age to attend.

PROGRAM:
On stage, we’ll be joined by three Board members from Finnish Game Jam - FGJ Vice President Jenna Toivonen, GGJ Regional Organizer Emil Ekroth and FGJ PR Manager Irko Kekman. They’ll talk about how Finnish Game Jam supports the game creation community in Finland, give a glimpse into how this year’s #FGJ25 went, and dive into the benefits of game jams and why they are cool!

The Chat Corner will be open and ready for chatting, once again with an Ask Me Anything session! 💬 Samuli Jääskeläinen is an avid game jammer of more than 100 jams behind him and an unpredictable traveler, who travels to a different country for each Global Game Jam. When he is not busy jamming games, he is pushing the boundaries of mixed reality at Varjo. You can ask Samuli anything about jamming and game development in general. The AMA will be held during 19:00-20:30.

Finnish Game Jam (FGJ) is a non-profit organization founded to coordinate game jam events and support the game creation community in Finland. Their main event is the Finnish Game Jam (#FGJ), an annual, multi-location game development event in partnership with Global Game Jam (GGJ). In 2025, #FGJ25 gathered 1088 jammers developing over 320 games at 23 locations across Finland. FGJ honors the Finnish jamming community with the Finnish Game Jam Awards held every year and by running / hosting game jams with specific purpose, such as Pride Game Jam, Assembly Game Jam, and the JamJam festival. For more info about future game jams, check out their website.

ACCESSIBILITY:
At IGDA Helsinki we strive for making our events accessible for everyone. We kindly ask all attendees to stay away from using strong perfumes or similar fragrances. The Meetups can be crowded at times, meaning that the sound volume can also become rather loud.

Maxine is wheelchair accessible. There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp. Accessible toilet can be found at the back of the space.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any type of accessibility of our Meetups, then please contact helsinki@igda.fi and we will do our best to assist you.

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
January Meetup with MiTale and Dreamloop
14.01.2025

🎮✨ Kick off 2025 with the IGDA Helsinki January Meetup! 🚀

Join us next week for an inspiring event dedicated to indie game developers, as we dive into the latest trends and opportunities.

Natasha Skult (MiTale) and Joni Lappalainen (Dreamloop) will be on stage with an Indie Fireside Chat, where they’ll share insights, experiences, and a glimpse into the future of indie game development.

Let’s start the year with learning, connection, and conversations. See you there!

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki January Meetup with MiTale and Dreamloop

WHEN:
Tuesday 14.01.
Doors open at 17:00
Program starts at 17:30

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax). Note that Maxine is a 18+ venue, hence you must be 18+ years of age to attend.

PROGRAM:
This month, we’re hosting an Indie Fireside Chat with Natasha Skult (MiTale) and Joni Lappalainen (Dreamloop), diving into the latest trends and opportunities for indie game developers in 2025 and beyond. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and share!

Wanna showcase your game at our Demo Corner and get some valuable feedback? Sign up here: https://forms.gle/pcWQR5uombr1Zi4p9

The Chat Corner will be open and ready for chatting. 💬 Remedy Entertainment's Senior Development Manager Jani Pääjärvi has an Ask Me Anything session in the Chat Corner between 19-21. If you have any questions regarding getting to work, or working on world-class console games, now is your chance to ask! Jani's go-to crafts are game design, programming, lighting, VFX and UI/UX - and obviously production.

See you at Maxine on Tuesday January 14th from 17 onwards! 👋 

ACCESSIBILITY:
At IGDA Helsinki we strive for making our events accessible for everyone. We kindly ask all attendees to stay away from using strong perfumes or similar fragrances. The Meetups can be crowded at times, meaning that the sound volume can also become rather loud.

Maxine is wheelchair accessible. There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp. Accessible toilet can be found at the back of the space.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any type of accessibility of our Meetups, then please contact helsinki@igda.fi and we will do our best to assist you.

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
Xmas Party with Superccell
10.12.2024

🎄The IGDA Helsinki Xmas Party with Supercell is happening! 🎉

It’s time to dig out your favorite holiday clothes — ugly Christmas sweaters, glittery party outfits, or whatever makes you feel festive. This month’s program features a talk by Stephen Routledge, Game Lead at Supercell, who will share insights and stories to inspire your game development journey. 🎮✨ But that’s not all—we’ve got a little extra holiday magic planned:

🎅 Porridge and glögg for our early attendees (because nothing says Finnish Christmas like these cozy treats!)
🎁 Holiday Party Bingo! Get ready for some friendly competition.

Let’s wrap up the year in true IGDA Helsinki style! We’ll meet you there! 🎅🎉

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki Xmas Party with Supercell

WHEN:
Tuesday 10.12.
Doors open at 16:30
Program starts at 17:30

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax).

PROGRAM:
Our Journey With Community Focused Development
Stephen Routledge is the Game Lead for mo.co, a new Supercell game in development. Starting with a brief introduction to the game, Steve will walk through the idea of community focused development, the inspiration behind it and what it means for the mo.co team. We’ll hear about the team’s journey so far and the learnings they picked up on the way.

No Demo Corner this time, but please look forward to the January Meetup!
The Chat Corner will be open and ready for chatting. 💬

ACCESSIBILITY:
At IGDA Helsinki we strive for making our events accessible for everyone. We kindly ask all attendees to stay away from using strong perfumes or similar fragrances. The Meetups can be crowded at times, meaning that the sound volume can also become rather loud.

Maxine is wheelchair accessible. There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp. Accessible toilet can be found at the back of the space.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any type of accessibility of our Meetups, then please contact helsinki@igda.fi and we will do our best to assist you.

TL;DR:
- Xmas Party with Supercell.
- Tuesday 10.12.
- Doors open at 16:30, program starts at 17:30
- Chat Corner is open!
- Glögg, porridge and bingo!

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
November Meetup x Ubisoft Redlynx
12.11.2024

This time for the IGDA Helsinki Meetup we are teaming up with Ubisoft RedLynx! Welcome, excited to see you there! 👋

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki November Meetup x Ubisoft RedLynx 

WHEN:
Tuesday 12.11.
Doors open at 16:30
Program starts at 17:30

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax).

PROGRAM:
The November Meetup is sponsored by Ubisoft RedLynx, and Chris Castro and Aku Mähönen will be on stage to discuss how automated tools can improve development processes in a number of ways. For more details, check further below!

🕹️ Wanna showcase your game at our Demo Corner and get some valuable feedback? Sign up by filling in this form

💬 The Chat Corner will be open and ready for chatting.

Program: In their talk, Senior Development Tester Chris Castro and Senior Game Designer Aku Mähönen will join forces and talk about how an automated tool can ease the daily lives of not just programmers, but also development testers – like Chris – and game designers – like Aku. With several years of experience in mobile game development, Chris and Aku will explain how automation can improve game development processes, like bug catching and time management in projects, by giving examples on different use cases.

Ubisoft RedLynx is a multiplatform game development studio located in Helsinki. The studio brings HD, mobile, and tech development together under one roof, cherishing this unique combination. As part of Ubisoft, the studio is currently working with both unannounced projects and collaborating on world-known IPs. Check out the Ubisoft RedLynx website for more! www.redlynx.com

ACCESSIBILITY:
At IGDA Helsinki we strive for making our events accessible for everyone. We kindly ask all attendees to stay away from using strong perfumes or similar fragrances. The Meetups can be crowded at times, meaning that the sound volume can also become rather loud.

Maxine is wheelchair accessible. There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp. Accessible toilet can be found at the back of the space.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any type of accessibility of our Meetups, then please contact helsinki@igda.fi and we will do our best to assist you.

Reminder that IGDA Meetups use the THE FINNISH GAME INDUSTRY Code of Conduct!

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
October Meetup x Next Games
8.10.2024

Ready for our IGDA Helsinki October Meetup? We’re gonna be bringing the fun with Next Games: A Netflix Game Studio!

As the days grow darker, we want to bring some fun and happiness to your days! That is why Next Games will be hosting a fireside chat about making time for creativity and play in game development. 💜 Chatting about this topic will be Next Games Design Director Timothy Coolidge and Next Games Art Lead Ilona Lindholm. Later during the second half of the program, we’ll have Annakaisa Kultima continuing with a topic in the same realm. Stay tuned to find out more! ✨

Note: We will again be starting the program earlier. Doors open at 16:30 and the fireside chat starts at 17:30! Come listen to some great discussion and chill in great company~

Wanna showcase your game at the Demo Corner? Sign up here! 🕹️

Chat Corner will be open and ready for chatting. 💬

See you at Maxine on Tuesday October 8th from 16:30 onwards! 👋

Can’t make it to Maxine? We’re happy to announce that this time the program will also be streamed! You can find the stream on IGDA Finland’s Twitch channel.

Next Games Fireside chat

Topic: Creative Well-Being: Making Time for Play in Game Development

Annakaisa Kultima is a games researcher, lecturer and jamtivist. Her research concentrates on game development cultures, creativity, game industry trends, and game jams. She’s also one of the founders of Finnish Game Jam & The Finnish Museum of Games.

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki October Meetup x Next Games

WHEN:
08.10.
Doors open at 16:30
Program starts at 17:30

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax).
Livestream of program on IGDA Finland’s Twitch channel.

ACCESSIBILITY:
At IGDA Helsinki we strive for making our events accessible for everyone. We kindly ask all attendees to stay away from using strong perfumes or similar fragrances. The Meetups can be crowded at times, meaning that the sound volume can also become rather loud.

Maxine is wheelchair accessible. There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp. Accessible toilet can be found at the back of the space.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any type of accessibility of our Meetups, then please contact helsinki@igda.fi and we will do our best to assist you.

TL;DR:
- October Meetup with Next Games!
- Tuesday 08.10.
- Doors open at 16:30, program starts at 17:30
- Demo and Chat Corner are Open!

Reminder that IGDA Meetups use the THE FINNISH GAME INDUSTRY Code of Conduct!

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
September Meetup
10.9.2024

IGDA Helsinki presents: The September Meetup on Sep 10th!

Note: There is a mandatory cloakroom and security fee of 2,5€ for the event this time!

This Meetup our program will be split in two. Doors will open already at 16:30 and the seminar starts at 17:15! Our seminar will be focused on the main implications of EU sustainability legislation on the games industry. Jani Kahrama, the Founder of Secret Exit & Founder of Pelimetsä, and Tommi Lappalainen, the Senior Sustainability Manager at Rovio, will be on stage chatting about the topic. At the end, there will be an opportunity for Q&A! We encourage everyone to attend regardless of your current knowledge on the subject~ A bit further below, you can find a short intro to the topic and more info on our speakers. ⬇️

After the seminar and a short break, we’ll start our more regular program. ✨ As a highlight, the talented participants of the first round of the Espoo Game LAB game dev program will be on stage sharing about their experiences. They’ll also be showing off their games at the Demo Corner! Come check it out~

A packed evening, be sure not to miss it! See you at Maxine on Tuesday September 10th 16:30 onwards 🤩

Demo Corner for September Meetup is already full! Come check out all the cool games 🕹️

Chat Corner will be open as usual. 💬

What is this EU sustainability legislation? Need a short intro to the topic? We got you! Dr. Benjamin Abraham, Research and Standard Lead of Sustainable Games Alliance, wrote us a short summary to give you some background:

“The previous EU parliament made the green transition a central focus of its policy effort, resulting in a suite of new regulations that will oblige EU businesses to avoid greenwashing, undertake comprehensive sustainability disclosures, align with Paris Agreement climate targets, and, for the largest companies, to engage their entire value chain to ensure human rights and environmental protections are upheld. Some of these initiatives are already in force, and more are set to be phased in over the next 5 years.

Several new implications for the games industry arise from these various legislative acts as they come into effect. The first is the requirement to ensure that all green claims be verified in advance by an accredited third party, ending the current situation where claims of “carbon neutrality”, “green” initiatives, and other ambiguous terms leave consumers with little confidence about products and services. Deriving commercial benefits from unsubstantiated green claims is to be considered “unfair” commercial practice across the EU, applying to all businesses and products. Another next major implication will be that between now and 2028 large, and eventually even SMEs that are publicly traded in the EU will be required to disclose according to the requirements of the European Sustainaiblity Reporting Standard (ESRS). The ESRS is perhaps the most detailed and complicated sustainability regime in the world, with an enormous list of 600+ mandatory sustainability data points requiring considered responses, and even SME’s are likely to receive new requests for data from larger business partners (publishers, platform holders, etc) which may require new sustainability data collection and measurement efforts. Finally, many game developers may begin to be required by their business partners to ensure the protection of human rights and environmental concerns in new ways, if they are within the value chain of larger companies covered by the Corporate Sustainaiblity Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) which will apply to even international business with a substantial interest in the EU. The next several years in European business are set to be challenging, potentially disruptive to the unprepared, but ultimately transformative in a positive way. EU businesses and consumers will both become more aligned with the green transition and prepared for a changing world.” 

Seminar speakers

Espoo Game LAB is a creative playground and launchpad for anyone into games and creative business that will also offer pre-incubator and accelerator services. The aim of the project is to increase the number, quality, cooperation and employment readiness of small and medium-sized Finnish gaming companies.

In the Espoo Game LAB programme, a number of selected participants can develop their games as well as themselves in a professional environment. The first Espoo Game LAB round began in March 2024.

WHAT:

IGDA Helsinki September Meetup

WHEN:

Tuesday 10.09.
Doors open at 16:30
Seminar starts at 17:15
Regular program at 18:15

WHERE:

Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax).

Maxine is wheelchair accessible! There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp. Accessible toilet can be found at the back of the space.

TL;DR:

- September Meetup!
- Tuesday 10.09.
- Doors open earlier! At 16:30, seminar starts at 17:15
- Demo and Chat Corner are Open!
- Mandatory cloakroom and security fee of 2,5€

Reminder that IGDA Meetups use the THE FINNISH GAME INDUSTRY Code of Conduct! 

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
August Meetup
13.8.2024

IGDA Helsinki Meetups are back in business! 🎉
We are gonna be kicking it off with our Summer Party Meetup in collaboration with Rovio Entertainment! Not only will Rovio Entertainment’s Senior Art Director Tatu Petersen-Jessen be holding a very interesting seminar talk, but we will also have wonderful acoustic live music from Rovio’s talented House Band! Additionally, the IGDA Finland Grant finalist will be revealed! So put on your summer glam, get ready to celebrate, and come say hi to everyone again after the long break. Join us at Maxine on August 13th 17:00 onwards! 

No Demo Corner this time, but please look forward to the next Meetup~ 🕹️Chat Corner will be open as usual. 💬

Note that the cloakroom has its space limitations, and might not accept bags after a certain threshold.

Talk description: Angry Birds in the Age of Generative AI

Even in the age of Generative AI, brands still need to live up to their brand promise, deliver great stories and keep characters on brand and stories in canon. So, what has changed? Discover how AI is transforming the creative industries and why it's crucial for us to understand how AI tools work - what they can and can’t do - especially in regards to brands and IPs. Learn effective ways to safeguard your IP and ensure your creative vision isn't compromised by haphazard use of AI. This session will address the challenges, problems, and pitfalls, as well as the innovative possibilities AI can bring to game development, and where should we aim our innovative focus in this new age of Generative AI.

WHAT:

IGDA Helsinki August Meetup x Rovio Entertainment

WHEN:

13.08.
Doors open at 17:00
Program starts at 18:15
Chat Corner open at 17:00 (break during the program)

WHERE:

Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax).
Maxine is wheelchair accessible! There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp.

TL;DR:

- August Summer Party with Rovio!
- Tuesday 13.08.
- Doors open at 17:00, program starts at 18:15
- Chat Corner is open!
- Remember your summer glam! 

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
May Meetup
14.5.2024

Hope you are ready for the IGDA Helsinki May Meetup! We’ll be welcoming our summer break together with Metacore! The program includes a talk by Metacore's Tech Services Lead Tomi Niemenmaa. Tomi’s talk will be focusing on the experiences of developing a centralized backend. Milla Pennanen from Game Makers of Finland will also be presenting the results of their Salary Survey. For more info on the program and speakers, scroll further below. 👇

Come join us on Tuesday May 14th for one final Meetup before the summer! 🌞 Let’s make it a good one!  

Wanna showcase your game at our Demo Corner? Sign up here. 🕹️

Chat Corner is available for everyone to join for however long of a duration! 💬 

Note that the cloakroom has its space limitations, and might not accept bags after a certain threshold.

Tomi Niemenmaa, Tech Services Lead at Metacore
Tomi is a Tech Services Lead at Metacore. Currently leading the development of Metacore's in-house game backend and related live ops tooling. Tomi has worked over 11 years building different backend and frontend solutions for various different industries like finance, e-commerce and games.

Talk description: Developing centralized backend at Metacore - Sharing lessons learned. We have been building our in-house game backend at Metacore now for 3 years. Going over quickly the goals and design principles we set out when we started, where we are and lessons we have learned along the way.

Game Makers of Finland conducted a Salary Survey for the sixth time and Milla Pennanen will be presenting the results for us! In addition to salaries and pay equality in the industry, the survey also investigates issues related to internships, working hours and coping skills.

WHAT:

IGDA Helsinki May Meetup x Metacore

WHEN:

Tuesday 14.05.

Doors open at 17:00

Program starts at 18:15

Demo Corner and Chat Corner open at 17:00 (break during the program)

WHERE:

Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax).

Maxine is wheelchair accessible! There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp.

BUT I WANNA DEMO MY GAME:

If your game is awesome and you’d like to demo it, sign up here!

TL;DR:

- IGDA Helsinki May Meetup x Metacore

- Tuesday 14.05.

- Doors open at 17:00, program starts at 18:15

- Chat and Demo Corner are open!

Reminder that IGDA Meetups use the THE FINNISH GAME INDUSTRY Code of Conduct!

Are you readyyyyyy??? 

The legendary IGDA Helsinki x Rovio Xmas Party is in two weeks! Time to put your party pants on and get jolly! 🥳 This special Meetup is done in collaboration with Rovio Entertainment. In addition to making the party possible, they’ve prepared a fantastic talk about inclusivity for all of us to enjoy. ✍️ This will be the last Meetup of the year, so let’s make it a good one! See you at Maxine on Tuesday December 12th from 17:00 onwards~  ☃️

No Demo Corner this time, but please look forward to the January Meetup! Chat Corner will be open! 💬  

Rovio Entertainment Corporation is a global mobile-first games company that creates, develops, and publishes mobile games, which have been downloaded over 5 billion times. Rovio is best known for the global Angry Birds brand and has since evolved from games to various entertainment, animations, and consumer products in brand licensing.

Tatu Petersen-Jessen, Senior Art Director at Rovio Entertainment — known for the global phenomenon Angry Birds — has dedicated over two decades to the gaming industry. His journey encompasses diverse roles in more than 50 globally released games, ranging from mobile to AAA. He is skilled in both conceptualizing innovative ideas and implementing them in ways that uphold ethical values and technical rigor, a capability honed through working with some of the best teams in the industry. In his speaking engagements, he focuses on sharing this wealth of knowledge with the art and games community, emphasizing the importance of both innovation and methodology in game development.
 

Topic: Crafting Joy for All - Making Gaming Everyone's Game

In this talk, we'll look at how including everyone makes games better for all. We'll use examples from our new Playbook for Inclusive Game Development and Marketing to explain how inclusivity is not just about fairness but also essential for more enjoyable and engaging games. Discover practical strategies for making your games more welcoming and learn why inclusivity in gaming is key to creating better experiences for every player.

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki Xmas Party with Rovio

WHEN:
Tuesday 12.12.
Doors open at 17:00
Seminar starts at 18:00
Chat Corner open at 17:00 (break during the seminar)

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax)

TL;DR:
- Xmas Party with Rovio on Dec 12th!
- Doors open at 17:00, seminar by Tatu Petersen-Jessen starts at 18:00
- Chat Corner is open!

Reminder that IGDA Meetups use the THE FINNISH GAME INDUSTRY Code of Conduct! 

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
November Meetup with GRUX SIG
14.11.2023

Happy November!

It’s less than two weeks until our next IGDA Helsinki Meetup. This time we are joining forces with the amazing GRUX SIG! We will have talks focused on User Experience from two wonderful speakers. Please see further below for more details on both our speakers and GRUX SIG as a whole~ 

Wanna showcase your game at our Demo Corner? Sign up here! 🕹️

Chat Corner is available for everyone to join for however long of a duration! 💬 

Have a great start to your November and see you at Maxine! 🤩

Games Research and User Experience Special Interest Group (GRUX SIG) Finland brings together everyone interested in user experience design and research in games in Finland. Their goal is to raise the UX maturity of the industry by sharing knowledge as well as to ensure everyone has the language and the tools to ensure their games create the desired experiences for the players.

Jasmin Dahncke

Driven by a strong passion for User Experience and Accessibility, Jasmin has worked for over a decade in the games industry and is looking to transform the way we work by helping studios and the game development community as a whole to nourish and maintain a user centric design culture that creates experiences accessible to all.

Talk Abstract: Case Study - Blind accessibility in open world games

Emma Varjo

Emma is a firm believer in the maxim "Leave the world a little better than you found it". She lives by it by creating the best user experiences for the games and products as well as the employee experience of the people creating said experiences. Through the same principle, she is committed to sharing her learnings with the game development community at large, so we can make memorable experiences for all, and have fun while doing so.

Talk abstract: We all care about our players and want to create the best games, so why do we need to talk separately about UX or "player-centric cultures"? This talk is a brief primer to the user-centric approach UX and other great designers use in all their work. 

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki November Meetup x GRUX SIG

WHEN:
14.11.
Doors open at 17:00
Seminars start at 18:00
Demo and Chat Corner open at 17:00 (break during seminars)

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax).

Maxine is wheelchair accessible! There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp.

BUT I WANNA DEMO MY GAME:
If your game is awesome and you'd like to demo it, sign up here!

TL;DR:
- November Meetup on the 14th
- Together with GRUX SIG
- Doors open at 17:00, seminars start at 18:00
- Chat and Demo Corner are open!

🎃 Happy almost October! 🎃

Our next Helsinki Meetup is getting closer and this time it’s with GDWC and Skillz! The Game Development World Championship, or GDWC for short, is an annual global competition for game developers of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. Skillz is the leading mobile games platform that connects players and developers through fun, fair and meaningful competition. 

We will have interesting seminars from both, so don’t miss it! See below for more info on the speakers. 👇

As usual, we will also have the Demo Corner for showcasing your wonderful games and the Chat Corner for chatting with friends old and new!
  
Let’s kick off the spooky season together, shall we? See you at Maxine! 👋
 
Your game at the Demo Corner? Sign up with this link. 🕹️

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki October Meetup x GDWC x Skillz

WHEN:
10.10.
Doors open at 17:00
Seminars start at 18:00
Demo and Chat Corner open at 17:00 (break during seminars)

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax).

Maxine is wheelchair accessible! There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp.

BUT I WANNA DEMO MY GAME:
If your game is awesome and you'd like to demo it, sign up here!

TL;DR:
- October Meetup on the 10th
- Together with GDWC and Skillz
- Doors open at 17:00, seminars start at 18:00
- Chat and Demo Corner are open!

Save the date! More information to come :)

Note, this event is on Monday so it works as an after party for the Leadership Day too.

IGDA Helsinki Meetups are back in business! 🎉

We’re continuing the celebrations with something very special. This Meetup will be the comeback of the glorious Summer Party with Supercell! 😎 There’ll be no seminars, but instead fun chill times together with friends old and new. Join us at Maxine on August 15th to welcome back the Meetups and Summer Party with good vibes and style!  
 
No Demo Corner this time but please look forward to the next Meetup~ 🕹️

Chat Corner will be open as usual 💬

This has been a really popular and liked part of our Meetups, so why not make it better? If you have the interest to join, let us know in this short form and drop us your ideas for this corner!

See ya there!

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki August Meetup x Supercell

WHEN:
15.08.
Doors open at 17:00
Chat Corner is open between 17:00 - 21:00

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators next to the Jungle Juice Bar at the bottom floor).

Maxine is wheelchair accessible! There are a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for an incline.


TL;DR:
- August Meetup on the 15th
- It's the IGDA Helsinki x Supercell Summer Party!
- Doors open at 17:00
- Chat Corner is open
- Leadership Day is coming! More info here

IGDA Helsinki Presents:
April Meetup with Metaplay
11.04.2023

Spring is here, well almost...

Don't let this takatalvi hold you back, this time we have Meetup with Metaplay! They have prepared you seminar speakers from Metaplay's own and their customer's team. 👀

Also! April's Meetup is going to be this the last Helsinki Meetup before summer, because on May we have IGDA Finland's 20th birthday! psst. grab your birthday tickets here 😉

Your demo and this Meetup? Follow this link - we'll make it happen! 🕹️

Be there or be square!

Chat Corner! 💬 This has been a really popular and liked part of our Meetups, so why not make it better? If you have the interest to join, let us know in this short form and drop us your ideas for this corner!

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki April Meetup x Metaplay

WHEN:
11.03.
Doors open at 17:00
Seminar starts at 18:00
Chat Corner is open between 17:00 - 21:00 (break during seminars)

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators next to the Jungle Juice Bar at the bottom floor).

Maxine is wheelchair accessible! There's few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for an incline.

BUT I WANNA DEMO MY GAME:
If your game is awesome and you like to demo it, sign up here!

TL;DR:
- April Meetup on 11th
- Doors open at 17:00, seminars start 18:00
- Chat and Demo Corner are open!

Our March Meetup is coming closer and it is done with Next Games Moonloot Netflix game studios and Game Makers of Finland!

There's a lot to see this time. We have a bunch of seminars coming, a look into yearly salary survey and CV Corner with possibility to take new headshots!

Evenings guest speakers!

Saara Bergström, COO, Next Games
Introducing Netflix Finland

Reko Ukko, CCO, Next Games
Introducing Next Games

Mari Wallgren, Development Director, Moonloot
Introducing Moonloot

Milla Pennanen, Game Makers of Finland,
Peek into yearly salary survey's results

Chat Corner!  This has been a really popular and liked part of our Meetups, so why not make it better? If you have the interest to join, let us know in this short form and drop us your ideas for this corner!

If your demo should be on display, follow this link - we'll make space for your game

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki March Meetup x Next Games Moonloot Netflix

WHEN:
14.03.
Doors open at 17:00
Seminar starts at 18:00
Chat Corner is open between 17:00 - 21:00 (break during seminars)

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators next to the Jungle Juice Bar at the bottom floor).

Maxine is wheelchair accessible! There's few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for an incline.

BUT I WANNA DEMO MY GAME:
If your game is awesome and you like to demo it, sign up here!

TL;DR:
- March Meetup on 14th
- Doors open at 17:00, seminars start 18:00
- Chat and Demo Corner are open!

Save the date! More information to come :)

Welcome to IGDA Helsinki on the 17th of January!

This time we don't have seminars, so prepare to have time for catching up with your friends! If you’re new to IGDA meetups or in general looking to meet new people, we will be having Chat Corner waiting for you and Demo Corner available for showcasing your game!

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki January Meetup

WHEN:
17.01.
Doors open at 17:00
Chat Corner is open between 17:00 - 20:00

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators next to the Jungle Juice Bar at the bottom floor)

BUT I WANNA DEMO MY GAME:
Click this link and let’s get your game out!

The mandatory cloakroom fee is 2.5€

TL;DR:
- January Meetup on 17th
- Chat Corner is open!

WINTER HAS ARRIVED! and so has the traditional Xmas party of IGDA Helsinki sponsored by ROVIO!

As always, second Tuesday of the month from 17:00 onwards, we gather at Maxine to share thoughts and connect with our community. This special Xmas themed Meetup is done in collaboration with Rovio Entertainment and they have THREE interesting talks prepared for us, starting at 18:00 📣 Tuesday 13th of December!

Heini Kaihu is Rovio’s Chief Sustainability Officer. She has been with the company since 2012, having held positions such as Head of Studio (Games) as well as Head of HR. Before joining Rovio, Heini had a long career at Sulake, where she worked across the organisation in various leadership positions such as EVP Product and a member of the Leadership Team. Her dedication drives her to continuously improve on the positive impact game companies have on social and environmental sustainability.

Topic: What does sustainability mean for gaming companies? Trends and a little peek into the future.

Petri Hyökyranta is Rovio’s Chief Technology Officer. He has been with the company since 2011. During his career, he has been part of several digital business initiatives for different sized companies in different maturity stages. In many of these, he has held an instrumental role leading work, building teams and structures and turning business requirements into new long-term business and production systems. He has experience from multiple different operational models, including working as a service provider, with service providers and with partly or fully outsourced resources.

Topic: Rovio’s Beacon platform: what is it and how it helps us craft joy to players.

Miika Tams is the Head of Studio at Rovio’s Puzzle studio (and loving it!). He’s a true industry veteran, with over 23 years of games experience behind him, including PC, consoles, mobile and F2P since day one.

Topic: A year in the life of the Rovio Puzzle studio: Games, campaigns, growth and all the other cool stuff we've seen during the past year.

News from Chat Corner! 💬 This has been a really popular and liked part of our Meetups, so why not make it better? If you have any topics you'd like to have in Chat Corner or suggestions for icebreaker games, check this link and leave us some feedback!

See you in three weeks! 💥

WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki Xmas Party with Rovio

WHEN:
13.12.
Doors open at 17:00
Chat Corner is open between 17:00 - 20:00
Seminar starts at 18:00

WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators next to the Jungle Juice Bar at the bottom floor)

BUT I WANNA DEMO MY GAME:
Click this here link and let’s get in touch!

TL;DR:
- Xmas Party with Rovio
- Seminar by Heini Kaihu, Petri Hyökyranta and Miika Tams starts at 18:00
- Chat Corner is open!

IGDA Finland and the Finnish Game Jam will be hosting an online Post Play Party to celebrate your jam creations on February 16th. Jammers will have an opportunity to share their jamming experiences and walk the audience through their game using the video demo they'll submit at the end of the jam. FGJ President Teemu Kokkonen will also be on hand to share his experience and talk about future FGJ events. The event will take place on IGDA Finland's Twitch channel and will be rebroadcast on other IGDA Finland and Finnish Game Jam channels.

To show off your jam game at the Post Play Party please sign up using form below.

IGDA Helsinki ONLINE DEMODAY 

Is my game fun? Do players know what to do? What is the meaning of all of this?
You might be asking yourself these questions when making your game.
Well ask no more! We’re here to help you get answers!

WHAT IS IT?

IGDA Helsinki is hosting an online Demoday and is looking for people and teams to showcase their games. Now you have a chance to get direct feedback from industry veterans. 

WHO IS IT FOR?

No matter if you’re a student, indie dev or a more experienced studio you can sign up as long as your game is in a playable state that can be showcased for the mentors.

HOW TO APPLY?

In order to demo your game and get professional feedback, please fill up the sign-up form. The deadlined is the 12th of January.

WHEN IS IT?

We’re having Demoday on the 19th of January 2021. The event is a live stream from Arcade 5 and will be streamed online on the IGDA Finland Twitch and Youtube channel.

Here are our mentors, ready to throw some feedback your way!

Ilari Kuittinen

The CEO and the other co-founder of Housemarque. The company just celebrated its 25th birthday, making it the oldest still up and running game company in Finland. And through all those years Ilari has been running it, all the while making some great games.

Minna Eloranta

Minna is the co-founder and CEO of Boom Corp, a Tampere-based mobile games startup. Minna has worked on a plethora of games in a span of seven years, including brands such as Angry Birds and Turbo Dismount. Minna has been an active volunteer in the games industry, acting as Lead Coordinator of IGDA Helsinki in and co-founding the IGDA Finland Tampere hub.

Mikael Haveri

Mikael is the business wizard of Housemarque. He's been in the thick of the Finnish game industry for a over a decade, bringing some much needed levelheadedness and business skills to the game industry.

Tatu Laine

Tatu has a background in running his own game company before joining Futureplay as a game designer. On top of this, he's got a long history in both IGDA Finland and the Finnish Game Jam association. Proudly been making games since 2009.

You know the memes, you know the legend, you know the man: former President and COO of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aimé! Now you have a chance to see the industry giant himself and throw in your own questions.

The year has been one wild ride and it’s finally coming to a close. In celebration of making through this extraordinary and trying year, IGDA Finland and Rovio will be bringing some holiday cheer to all of the studios, homes and home offices out there with a special online holiday party. 

Rovio will host a fireside chat with Reggie, who will share his experiences, thoughts on what the future holds and answer some of your questions.

This will be a one-time live event only, there will be no possibility to see it afterwards so make sure to tune in!

WHAT
On top of getting your sweet fill of Reggie we have:
- Rovio’s inhouse band 
- Holiday cheers from Finnish game devs
- And of course, the traditional Yule Log

WHEN
Tuesday 15th December
19:00 - 21:00 EET

WHERE
The livestream will take place on the following streaming services:
IGDA Finland Twitch
IGDA Finland Youtube
IGDA Finland Facebook

HOLIDAY WHAT?
The Holiday Card Challenge for the Finnish game industry!
Come be part of it and send warm, fuzzy feelings to everyone within the industry
Have a look here and join spreading good vibes at the end of this testing year!

This is a one-time live event only, no recordings, no nothing. So be sure to be there!

See y’all in December!

IGDA Finland invites you to our November ONLINE MEETUP with exciting program together with our sister chapter form Italy – IGDA Turin!

We are delighted to host this this event with remarkable guests from Finnish and Italian gamedev scenes, sharing the cultural, social and bizdev practices among our communities. Please welcome:

- Marco Mazzaglia - Technical Director of Academy and Videogame Evangelist at Synesthesia
- Valerio Di Donato – CEO of 34BigThings
- Davide Cavuoto - Game Designer at Tiny Bull Studios

and

- Gabriele Aimone - Director of Helsinki Games Capital, previously Supercell
- Minna Eloranta - Co-Founder and CEO of Boom Corp
- Natasha Skult - Co-Founder and CEO of MiTale

hosted by incredible Joonas Häll from Helsinki and Jami Salati from Turin.

The event will take place online on the 24th of November from 19:30 (EET/GMT+2) on Twitch channels of

IGDA Finland ( https://www.twitch.tv/igda_finland )

and

IGDA ( https://www.twitch.tv/igda )

while the networking will take place at the Finnish Game Dev Discord channel:
discord.gg/aCfTY6E

Facebook event

IGDA Helsinki ONLINE DEMODAY 

Come join us tomorrow, Tuesday the 27.10. at 18:00 for our Demoday live stream! Be ready to hop on the IGDA Finland Twitch channel!

We have three awesome teams signed up and ready to get some feedback from game industry veterans. So, come and hear what our mentors have to say about these games, maybe you can even find good pointers for whatever you're working on and for just plain old fun!

Here are our mentors, ready to throw some feedback your way!

Natasha Skult

As the CEO & Creative Director of MiTale, a game company from Turku focusing on narrative-driven experiences in mixed reality and gamification, Natasha has plenty of experience of both game development as well as the industry. She is also an active member of the Finnish and international games industry as Board Member of IGDA.org and Chairperson of IGDA Finland.

Gregory Louden

Greg is the Narrative Director at Housemarque on RETURNAL and Chief Convict at Convict Games, creators of STONE. His experience is in both AAA and indie game development, along with VFX and feature animation.

Johanna Puustinen

The Editor-in-Chief of Pelaaja magazine and a producer at H-Town Oy. She's also familiar with the other side of the PR coin, having previously served as Head of Communications for two gaming startups.

Olli Raudus

Lunarbyte and Skunkworks are two Helsinki based game companies, of which Olli is one of the co-founders. With an expertise in company operations and mobile game design, Olli is always on a lookout for new promising and potential talent.

We in Games ry, Game Makers of Finland and IGDA Helsinki are working together to organise an online talk about the labour laws in Finland, about the rights of employees and to answer any questions you might have regarding this topic.

Earlier we at IGDA asked you how you all feel about having physical events and you answered in droves. Thank you for that. Now it’s our turn to listen to you, listen to the government and take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone. Because of this, we are avoiding unnecessary risks but as we still want to give the community something, we are keeping our event online only.

You are more than welcome to watch our live Twitch stream on the day and to participate by asking questions or taking part in the discussion on our moderated Discord channel for the event.

Facebook event

Schedule:

17:00 The stream begins with intros
17:15 The guest speaker, Maria, starts
18:15 Q&A with the speaker
18:30 Loose discussion between Maria, Milla and Taina.
19:00 The stream ends

Game Makers of Finland

Game Makers of Finland is the world's first union for the people who work in the game industry. Their mission is to help to create, develop and implement the best practices with the game makers. Game Makers of Finland wants to promote the general well-being and growth of game companies and listen to the voices of employees.www.peliala.fi 

Milla Pennanen

Executive Director, Game Makers of Finland
Milla is one of the founders of the GMoF and by many regarded as the face of the union. With a strong background in labour union activities and her network with game and tech companies she is perfectly poised to stand up for the workers within the industry. As an enthusiastic gamer she, like all of us, wants to keep getting new games but not at the expense of the people who make them.

We in Games (formerly known as Women in Games)

We in Games Finland is a non-profit organisation for everyone looking to improve diversity and inclusiveness within the games industry. Our objective is to make the Finnish games industry more diverse and equal and make working and entrepreneurship in the industry possible to everyone regardless of their gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age, financial situation, or body and functionality.

Taina Myöhänen

President, We in Games Finland
She started in the industry in 2006, found games a great place to work, and wants everyone else to feel the same.

Seminar

Maria Jauhiainen

Lawyer, Union of Professional Engineers in Finland
Maria is a long time lawyer, specialising in labour legislation. She’s also a working conditions expert with a strong knowledge of versatile agreements and contracts.

Labour laws

Come and learn about the basic labour law regulations in Finland – when it comes to work, legal matters are essential in Finland.

As a few examples, the law regulates 

• what could and should be in your employment contract

• what is a trial period

• what should you agree or not to agree on non-competition agreement

• how and on what grounds you can be temporarily laid-off

• on what grounds you can and cannot be legally laid-off

You will also learn how working hours are regulated and how annual holiday is accrued. Come and hear more about your rights as well as ask any questions you might have regarding labour laws in Finland.

See you online!

IMPORTANT: As the Coronavirus situation is ongoing here in Finland, please be mindful when attending the event:

• Avoid unnecessary handshaking

• Please wash your hands carefully

• If you are feeling ill, please take care of yourself and rest at home

Facebook event

Schedule
17:00 Doors open
17:30 Seminar
19:00 Meetup & Demo Corner

Games Research and User Experience Finland

We are a group for all Games User Research and User Experience individuals in Finland to exchange and network. User Experience and Games User Research have become business relevant topics in the age of games as a service and can touch on every part of a company’s business model from marketing strategy to player support integration. We want to create a community with recurring meet ups and events that tackle the issues and share the learnings to help build and improve the design culture of Finland's game industry. Games Research and User Experience Finland Facebook group

Seminar

Pascal Debroek: Gain actionable insights and create value by focusing on Player Experience and why GaaS requires a mindset shift in designing products and services.

Pascal is a long-time Player Experience professional who has worked at some of the hottest mobile gaming startups Helsinki has to offer, including Supercell, Next Games and Hatch Entertainment. In his current role as Head of Customer Service at Hatch Entertainment he strives to provide a safe, fair and player-centric environment for all players, combining his experience in both the gaming and corporate service industry.

Emma Varjo: What is UX and how can you make sure the user experience in your game is the one you intended? This talk will go over the basics.

Emma Varjo is the UX Lead at Frozenbyte. She is passionate not only about player experiences, but also making the experience of making games as frictionless as possible.

Chat Corner

Come hang out at the Chat Corner and meet new people! This is a designated, relaxed area for meeting new people at the event. A volunteer will be present to help make the introductions and facilitate conversation. Whether you're new to IGDA Meetups or already a veteran, you'll surely make some new friends here. Come on by, we have snacks!

Demo Corner

The Demo Corner is a great place to showcase your game, do some user testing, and get feedback. It doesn't matter if you're working for a small studio, a hobbyist or student working on a project, or veteran team testing a game in early development (in TestFlight, etc). This place is for you. IGDA Finland encourages industry experts to review the games and provide feedback to help teams grow. 

IGDA Finland Helsinki Hub March Meetup
Time: Tuesday 10.03.2020 at 17:00
Place: Maxine, Urho Kekkosen katu 1 A, 6th floor, 00100 Helsinki
Please note that you need to be at least 18 years old to attend. The cloakroom service is offered free of charge.

Facebook event

Schedule:

17:00 Doors open
17:30 Seminar with Finnish Game Jam
19:00 Finnish Game Jam Post Play Party and Demo Corner

Finnish Game Jam

Finnish Game Jam ry (FGJ) is a non-profit association founded to organize game jam events and support game creation hobby in Finland. Their main jam is the Finnish Game Jam, an annual multi-location game development event, which is part of the Global Game Jam (GGJ) taking place every January. Finnish Game Jam 2020 took place from January 31st to February 2nd, 2020 as a part of Global Game Jam.

The Post Play Party is an event for jammers and and other game enthusiasts to get together and celebrate the games that were created during Finnish Game Jam.

Seminar

17:30 – 17:40 - IGDA Finland Helsinki Hub News
17:40 – 17:50 - Welcoming Words from Finnish Game Jam
17:50 – 18:30 - FGJ Panel
18:30 – 19:00 - FGJ 2020 Demo Presentations

Panel Speakers:
Samuli Jääskeläinen, Superjammer
Jouni Jussila, FGJ 2020 site organizer
Sylvia Smatanová, FGJ board member
Julia Rässa, FGJ board member
Sini Haapanen, FGJ board member

Demo corner

If you created a game at Finnish Game Jam 2020, sign up for the Demo corner and show everyone what you made!

IGDA Finland Helsinki Hub February Meetup & FGJ Post Play Party
Time: Tuesday 11.2.2020 at 17:00
Place: Maxine, Urho Kekkosen katu 1 A, 6th floor, 00100 Helsinki

Please note that you need to be at least 18 years old to attend. The cloakroom service is offered free of charge.

Facebook event

Join us for the first meetup of the year at Maxine! Doors open at 19:00, the cloakroom service is offered free of charge.

IGDA Finland Helsinki Hub January Meetup
Time: Tuesday 14.1.2020 at 19:00
Place: Maxine, Urho Kekkosen katu 1 A, 6th floor, 00100 Helsinki

Please note that you need to be at least 18 years old to attend. The cloakroom service is offered free of charge.

Facebook event

Schedule:

19:00 Doors open, Xmas Party sponsored by Rovio
21:00 Performance by Game Music Collective Cellos

Rovio

Rovio is an entertainment company best known for their Angry Birds series of games, which since launching in 2009, has become a globally recognized brand, earning 4 billion downloads, and spawning two animated movies and countless licensed products.

This year, Rovio is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Angry Birds with a global celebration centering around a campaign which calls on players to use their anger for something positive. Coinciding with an in-game event in Angry Birds 2, Rovio will make a donation to UNICEF’s Education In Emergencies fund that provides education to displaced children around the world.

https://www.rovio.com/

Game Music Collective

Game Music Collective comprises fully of academically/classically trained, professional musicians who are all graduates of the Sibelius Academy, which is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki, a university-level music school which is located (as the name implies) in the capital of Finland, Helsinki.

Game Music Collective Cellos is a string section of the full band, and they will perform a short concert at the gathering starting at 21:00.

To experience the full Game Music Collective Band, you can see them in concert at Helsinki’s Nosturi venue on December 29th 2019. More info here: https://www.igda.fi/blog/2019/game-music-collective-band-in-concert-at-helsinkis-nosturi-on-29122019

Demo corner

The Demo Corner is a great place to showcase your game, do some user testing, and get feedback. It doesn't matter if you're working for a small studio, a hobbyist or student working on a project, or veteran team testing a game in early development (in TestFlight, etc). This place is for you. IGDA Finland encourages industry experts to review the games and provide feedback to help teams grow.

IGDA Finland Helsinki Hub Xmas Party with Rovio
Time: Tuesday 10.12.2019 at 19:00
Place: Maxine, Urho Kekkosen katu 1 A, 6th floor, 00100 Helsinki

Please note that you need to be at least 18 years old to attend. The cloakroom service is offered free of charge.