Finnish Game Jam ry welcomes the new board

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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.

Crossing Latitudes Jam is here again!

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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.

​How to join the jam?

To join the jam you need to click on “Join Jam” on our jam’s itch.io page – CLICK HERE.

Once you have joined the jam, make sure to join official Crossing Latitudes – Discord server which will be the main platform for the online jam. In Discord you will find more information and guidelines of the jam.​

What’s in store for you?

​✨ Cultural Fusion

Immerse yourself in a unique experience where Finnish and Brazilian game development expertise intertwine. Discover new perspectives, narratives, and artistic styles that transcend boundaries.

​✨ Cross-Country Collaboration

Forge lasting connections with talented individuals from both Finland and Brazil. Engage in fruitful discussions, exchange ideas, and fuel your creativity with the collective wisdom of two dynamic gaming communities.

​✨ Knowledge Sharing

Learn from the best! Participate in enlightening discussions, and mentorship throughout the jam, gaining invaluable insights into game design, storytelling, technology, and more, as industry experts share their wisdom.

​✨ Collaborative Game Development

Team up with like-minded enthusiasts and put your skills to the test! Embark on an exciting game development journey, fueled by the fusion of Finnish and Brazilian influences. Create innovative games that capture the essence of cultural exchange and friendship.

​✨ Gains and Recognition

Showcase your talent and open the doors to amazing opportunities! Earn recognition from a distinguished panel of judges, including renowned game developers and industry leaders. Your creativity could be rewarded and celebrated on an international stage, with showcasing your team and work at annual international game development conference W Love Games (October 12-13, 2023)!

​The event is free to attend and you can join by simply registering at dedicated itch.io page. The event will be hosted fully online through Discord and Twitch channels, and accessible for everyone. 

​Ready to embark on this incredible adventure? Register now and secure your spot in the Finland-Brazil Game Jam. Together, let’s redefine the boundaries of game development, one cultural exchange at a time!

Jam Jam 2024 is coming! Tickets are on sale NOW!

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🦄 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
Keep an eye on our socials for more information!  

Tickets: purchase here

Workshop and speaker applications: apply here

Finnish Game Jam Stories – Story Gathering

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What kind of game jam experiences do you have?

Did you organize a game jam yourself? How was it? How many jammers participated in the jam, what were the highlights?

Or maybe you experienced something surprising or exciting at a game jam somewhere? Did you make new friends? Jammed with your child? Brought your dog to the jamming site? Made an interesting game project? Fooled around in a creative way?

Submit your story to this story collection with a photo or without. The stories submitted before the 4th February 2024 and written in English will be considered to be published as part of the Finnish Game Jam Stories book. All the stories will be archived to the archive of the Finnish Museum of Games.
Share your story

Register to jam with us at Finnish Game Jam 2024!

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The Finnish Game Jam 2024 jammer registrations are open! Mark your calendars for 26-28 January 2024 and visit finnishgamejam.eventbrite.fi to get your free tickets. If you do not see a site you’d like to register with just yet, keep an eye out – more sites are still coming!

And if you would like to register your own site, check out globalgamejam.org!

If you have any questions about a specific site, please use the contact info mentioned on each site’s Eventbrite page. For more general inquiries, you can use finnishgamejam@gmail.com.

Finnish Game Jam 2023

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#FGJ23 is a 48-hour-long game development event organized as a part of the Global Game Jam. In 2023, FGJ#23 and the Global Game Jam are organized between the 3rd and the 5th of February. With various different #FGJ23 online locations, Finland is celebrating the 14th Global Game Jam in 2023! We will soon update this page with more information on #FGJ23. To hear the latest updates, follow this page and our other channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FinnishGameJam
Twitter: https://twitter.com/finnishgamejam
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/FinnishGameJam
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finnishgamejam
Discord: https://discord.gg/5hMyXB3tyQ

How to join?

Participation requires registration through our Eventbrite page – each location has its own registration. All of the sites are different, contact your local organizer if you need more info.

What is a game jam?

A game jam brings together all types of game developers, amateurs, professionals, and students to innovate new games in a single weekend or a similarly short time span. Typically participants work in small teams, racing to produce as complete a game as possible with limited time and resources, but unlimited creativity.

What is a Global Game Jam?

Global Game Jam (GGJ) is the world’s largest game jam event taking place worldwide every January. In 2017, jammers in 700 locations in 95 countries created over 7000 games.

What is Finnish Game Jam and #FGJ23?

Finnish Game Jam ry (FGJ) is a registered association founded to organize game jam events in Finland. Our main event is an annual game development event and a part of the worldwide Global Game Jam (GGJ). This year’s event is called #FGJ23, and comprises several game jam locations organized all around Finland. In #FGJ17, we had 22 locations, 888 jammers and 222 games created in one weekend!

Pocket Jam returns 27-28 September 2022!

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Finnish Game Jam ry once again collaborates with Pocket Gamer in bringing mobile jamming to Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2022. This year, the jam is an in-person event held at Cable Factory (Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki)

Whether you are an avid mobile gamer or simply want to try your hand at making bite-sized mobile (or other) games, we hope to see you at the jam! Game submission will be considered for an award both at the culmination of Pocket Jam, as well as the Finnish Game Jam Awards 2022.

We welcome both lone devs and already-formed teams! And, of course, we will help you find teammates as well. In addition to the jamming experience, participants will also receive full access to the conference, including expos, networking events, and other benefits.

More information and registration on Eventbrite
Also check out the event page on Facebook

Disclaimer: we reserve the right to make changes to the event schedule.

Pride Game Jam HKI 2022 is here!

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Today, Thursday 30. 6. 2022, the 3rd annual Pride Game Jam officially begins!

In honor of Pride Month, this four day event celebrates LGBTQIA+ people by creating a safe space where participants can create art, music, and, of course, games, by which they can freely express their gender, sexual, and romantic experiences.

The event is a hybrid one, meaning that jammers can join us in-person in Helsinki, as well as through Discord from anywhere else in the world. Everything you need to know about Pride Game Jam can be found on PGJ’s website, including schedule, information for our jammers, and a list of this year’s amazing speakers.

The event will be streamed on the Finnish Game Jam Twitch, and you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

You can also follow us through our official hashtags, #PrideGameJamHKI22 and #FGJ. Use these when posting about the event!

And finally, huge thank you to our sponsors: Metacore as Platinum sponsor, Skunkworks Games as Gold sponsor, Ubisoft RedLynx as Silver sponsor, and Boom Corp as Bronze sponsor!

Happy jamming everyone!