Finnish Game Jam expands to over 20 venues including the National Gallery
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.