This newsletter shares the good news of the Finnish game industry once a month. The content is intended to be an interesting news roundup both for separate newsletter subscribers and for media representatives interested in games.
November brought a wealth of Finnish game releases and updates for mobile devices, consoles, and PCs, including several new indie titles and projects that entered testing phases. Social First expanded its operations by acquiring the GamerPay.gg marketplace. The strategy game Ephemeris received significant EU funding. In addition, Netflix-owned Next Games announced four new game titles, and development of the Cities: Skylines series will continue in Finland under the leadership of Iceflake Studios.
1. New Game Releases and Updates in November 2025
Firedrake Games released the retro-style racing game Desert Race Adventures for PC and Nintendo Switch. The game combines adventure game elements with an exciting rally experience across Europe and Africa.
Pepperbox Studios released a deck-building game Dice of Kalma. It’s an epic and addictive roguelike strategy game full of problem-solving and diverse combinations. The game is available for mobile devices (iOS, Android) as well as for PCs via Steam.
Glitch Hammer Games moved its game Get Colossal into the alpha testing phase. In this accessible and family-friendly fighting game, giant robots battle each other and the destructible environment around them.
Indie developer Kimmo Lahtinen has launched eye-melting, techno-thumping arcade game Sektori for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox. The adrenaline-fueled shooter offers fast-paced gameplay across several different modes.
Zaibatsu Interactive is bringing the popular mobile racing game Boom Karts to Meta Quest virtual headsets in December. The chaotic, customizable, and fast-paced racing game will be completely free to play.
Fancy Raven Games has released the strategy game Interstellar Espionage Inc., taking players into a world of cosmic espionage. Individual play sessions last about 90 minutes, offering a new and unique experience each time.
Sheep Meadow Road Games released a playable demo of its Horse Racing Manager game. The player owns a racing stable where they breed and train their own horses for upcoming competitions.
Mythargia, developed by RunByCoffee and published by Fennonauts Publishing, has been released for PlayStation 5. It’s a retro-inspired adventure game where the player encounters supernatural elements and intriguing puzzles.
Lyra Creative has released its long-developed Reentry – A Space Flight Simulator on Steam. The game immerses players in a realistic and engaging space flight experience. The game offers a unique, gamified approach to simulating the challenges and excitement of manned space missions.
Amistech Games has released a teaser video and a Steam page for its upcoming game My Winter Car. It serves as a spiritual successor to the surprise indie hit My Summer Car.
2. Social First game studio has acquired the GamerPay.gg platform.
Social First, known from Nexus Station, has expanded its operations by purchasing the GamerPay.gg platform. The platform is recognized as a real-world marketplace for in-game ownerships. It operates a trading hub for the online game Counter-Strike 2, where players can buy and sell character skins among other items. Globally, this type of trading generates over one billion dollars in revenue. GamerPay enables safe and transparent transactions for in-game content with clear pricing and trading features. The platform aims to bring new business opportunities for publishers and developers.
3. Space strategy game Ephemeris has received significant EU funding
Finland-based Yrdvaab Oy has received funding of just over €130,000 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the development of the strategy game Ephemeris. Thanks to the funding, the game developed by solo developer Tuomas Pöyhtäri is now rapidly progressing toward its first public release. Ephemeris is a space-themed 4X strategy game for Windows PCs, featuring real-time and fully three-dimensional combat mechanics. The goal is to release an early version within about a year. +
4. Netflix-owned Next Games announced four new game titles
Next Games unveiled four new games that will be part of Netflix’s global Game Night release lineup. Among them three different party games Boggle Party, Pictionary: Game Night, and Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends are playable via television. These TV games are played using a smartphone as a controller. The fourth title, Netflix Puzzled, is available as a mobile app and web browser game, offering a variety of puzzle challenges with a fun and original Netflix twist. All these games provide a fresh perspective on familiar TV shows and movies.
5. Development of the Cities: Skylines building games continues in Finland
Finland-based Iceflake Studios will take over development of the Cities: Skylines building games next year. The previous developer, also Finland-based Colossal Order, will move on to new projects. Before the transition, Colossal Order will release the final updates for Cities: Skylines II later this year. These include the Bike Patch, which adds bicycles to the game, and another update that introduces classic buildings.