The countdown is on: Finnish Game Jam 2026 (#FGJ26) kicks off at the end of the month and is shaping up to be the largest jam in Finnish history.
Running from 30 January to 1 February 2026, the event synchronises with the Global Game Jam and invites hobbyists, students and professionals to create games together in 48 hours.
This year’s edition features a record number of public jam sites, stretching from the capital region to Lapland. Participants can choose an in‑person, hybrid or online site, register via Eventbrite and start forming teams immediately. The confirmed locations include:
- FGJ Jakobstad (in person) – Jakobstad
- FGJ Ylivieska (in person) – Ylivieska
- FGJ Lahti / SoSA ry (hybrid) – Lahti
- GGJ/FGJ Rovaniemi (in person) – Rovaniemi
- FGJ Kuopio (in person) – Kuopio
- FGJ Jyväskylä Hybrid (hybrid) – Jyväskylä
- FGJ Espoo Game LAB (in person) – Espoo
- FGJ Turku (hybrid) – Turku
- FGJ Tampere Hybrid (hybrid) – Tampere
- FGJ Veikkaus (in person) – Helsinki
- FGJ Finnish National Gallery Offices (in person) – Helsinki
- FGJ Kajaani (hybrid) – Kajaani
- FGJ Vaasa (in person) – Vaasa
- FGJ26 LUT Lappeenranta (hybrid) – Lappeenranta
- FGJ Porvoo Game Club (hybrid) – Porvoo
- FGJ Helsinki Arabia (in person) – Helsinki
- FGJ Oulu (in person) – Oulu
- FGJ Kauhajoki (in person) – Kauhajoki
Two sites are also available by invitation for their specific communities (FGJ Riveria online and FGJ Kymenlaakso in person).
Registration is open now and FGJ encourages participants to secure their spot early. Teams can form in advance or on site. The jam welcomes beginners and experienced game creators alike; in 2025, more than one third of Global Game Jam participants were first‑time jammers.
Record‑breaking participation expected
#FGJ26 builds on a strong legacy. Last year’s jam drew 1,088 jammers across 23 sites who produced 325 games. Finland regularly leads the world in games created per capita during the Global Game Jam and hosted more sites than any other Nordic country. Globally, the 2024 jam involved 34,649 participants at 796 sites in 102 countries, resulting in 9,964 games.
President’s welcome
“Finnish Game Jam has always been about bringing people together to experiment, learn and celebrate creativity,” says Jani Gröhn, President of Finnish Game Jam ry. “This year I’m especially excited about sites like Kuparitalo at the Finnish National Gallery, where jammers will have free access to the Gallery’s CC0 art collection and open API to inspire their games. With so many unique venues and a supportive community, #FGJ26 will be our most inspiring jam yet. Whether you’re a first‑time jammer, last semester student or a seasoned pro, I warmly invite you to join us and experience the magic of making games together.”
New podcast & web show: Let’s Finnish the Game
To further engage the community, FGJ is launching a podcast and webshow called “Let’s Finnish the Game”. Episode 1 premiered 13 January 2026 on YouTube and Spotify. The premiere features Pascal Luban—veteran designer of Splinter Cell, Wanted: Weapons of Fate and Alone in the Dark—who shares origin stories, creativity tips and advice on leveraging jam projects for career development. Each episode will spotlight game‑industry guests and explore how jam experience can showcase passion and help participants land jobs. Listeners can expect frank discussions about design, lessons learned from shipping games and practical insights for jammers.
Join the jam
Whether you want to prototype a new game, meet collaborators or simply experience the excitement of game creation, Finnish Game Jam 2026 offers a welcoming environment. Registration, site details and guidelines are available via the Finnish Game Jam Eventbrite page. Participants and organisers should act quickly: the jam begins on Friday, 30 January 2026, and spaces at each site are limited.
FGJ thanks its sponsors – Next Games, a Netflix studio, Housemarque, Supercell, MiTale, Fingersoft and Visionist – for enabling this year’s jam.
Contact
For site applications, sponsorship inquiries or media information, please contact:
Emil Ekroth
Vice President of Finnish Game Jam ry
Email: emil.ekroth@finnishgamejam.com
Eduardo Reyes
Head of Communications & Partnerships, Finnish Game Jam ry
Email: eduardo.reyes@finnishgamejam.com
Additional information and updates are available at www.finnishgamejam.com and FGJ’s social media channels. Photos available here: Finnish Game Jam.
Finnish Game Jam
Finnish Game Jam ry (FGJ) is a non‑profit association founded in 2012 to organise game jam events and support game‑making culture in Finland. FGJ has organised hundreds of jams and training programmes and has collaborated with domestic and international partners. The association promotes inclusivity and experimental game development and was honoured with the Suomi Award in 2018. Finland ranks first globally in games made per capita during the Global Game Jam, reflecting the country’s thriving game community. More info at https://www.finnishgamejam.com.
Global Game Jam
Global Game Jam is the world’s largest game jam, bringing together tens of thousands of participants to create games around the same theme in a single weekend. The event fosters creativity, collaboration and experimentation and occurs simultaneously at sites around the world. More info at https://globalgamejam.org/.