Finland’s largest game‑development marathon and Finland’s edition of the worldwide Global Game Jam, Finnish Game Jam 2026 (FGJ26), attracted hundreds of hobbyists, students and professionals to spend 48 hours creating new playable ideas around the theme “Mask”.
According to the FGJ community’s post‑jam report, jammers across Finland created 259 games. Those prototypes did not exist before the weekend, illustrating how a short, intense jam can generate an abundance of original ideas.
Finland regularly ranks first in games created per capita during Global Game Jam. For FGJ26, the association expanded to more than a dozen public jam sites across the country, with additional invite‑only locations. Sites ranged from university labs to the Finnish National Gallery, where participants could access the gallery’s CC0 art collection and open API to inspire their games.
Theme and creative output
This year’s Global Game Jam theme “Mask” was chosen because of its multiple meanings and the creative possibilities it offers. Jammers embraced the theme in inventive ways. Collectively, the Finnish sites averaged roughly a dozen games each and included digital games, tabletop experiences and playful experiments.
Post‑Play Party and community celebration
FGJ26 concluded with an IGDA Finland x Finnish Game Jam Post‑Play Party in Helsinki. More than 300 attendees packed the venue to play‑test over ten fresh jam games and cheer on local creators. FGJ vice‑president Emil Ekroth and Communications lead Eddie Reyes hosted the event, spotlighting the community’s creativity and ensuring every team felt celebrated. The lively turnout underscored why Finland’s jam scene remains so vibrant: “people come together to create, share, make new friends and support each other”.
Play the games
Members of the public can explore many of the 259 games created during FGJ26 on the Global Game Jam website. The Finnish sites’ collections are available at:
Kajaani: https://globalgamejam.org/group/31516/games
Helsinki Arabia: https://globalgamejam.org/group/31635/games
Additional site collections are accessible via the Global Game Jam website’s search function.
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/.