Finland’s largest game‑development marathon and Finland’s edition of the worldwide Global Game Jam, Finnish Game Jam 2026 (FGJ26), saw the creation of 259 games.
The event 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.
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