Game on! The 9 most important Finnish video games in history

Finland rules mobile games today. Many are surprised to learn that Finnish gaming culture is older than they think. The history of Finnish gaming and the roots of today’s success trace back to the early 80s.

Home computers turned tech-savvy Finns toward creating games for the Commodore VIC-20 and Commodore 64. Programming was easy. Unlike today’s massive teams, a single person could create a game. Counterfeits were common, but the era saw plenty of originality and experimentation.

Individual experimentation evolved into a thriving demoscene. This laid the groundwork for commercial success. Rising stars like Terramarque and Bloodhouse started here. Nokia mobile devices arrived in the late 90s and Finland’s position rose exponentially.

These are the games that put Finland on the map.

Chesmac, 1979

Pinning down the first video game is difficult. Chesmac is a strong contender for Finland’s first commercial title. Published in 1979, it was a chess simulation for the Telmac TMC-1800. Raimo Suonio created it while unemployed. He later joined Topdata and published the game. It sold 104 copies. This was a significant number at the time.

Sanxion, 1986

Sanxion was a horizontal shoot’em up. Some historians call it the first Finnish game released to the global market. It was developed by Stavros Fasoulas for the Commodore 64, known in Finland as the kuusnepa. British company Thalamus published it in 1986. The game featured music by Rob Hubbard and the first use of the Cyberload system, which included a blunt message for hackers.

Uuno Turhapuro muuttaa maalle, 1986

This title is not one of the best games in history, but it is an important milestone. It was the first licensed video game for a Finnish film, based on the popular 80s movies featuring the character Uuno Turhapuro. The C64 game was a success. Many consider it the starting point for Finnish commercial games, though Painterboy is another candidate from the same year.

UnReal World, 1992

UnReal World is a roguelike RPG often named among the best for PC. Its inclusion here is due to its development cycle. Sami Maaranen and Erkka Lehmus released it in 1992 and have updated it continuously for over 25 years. It is one of the oldest running roguelikes on PC.

Slicks ‘n Slide, 1993

Slicks ’n Slide was a top-down racer released in 1993 for DOS. Up to four players could race using a single keyboard. The resulting keyboard mashing was part of the appeal. It remains one of the most fondly remembered DOS racers.

Snake, 1997

Snake came preinstalled on Nokia devices starting in 1997. It sparked a new era. It was not the first mobile game, but it was the first mobile gaming phenomenon. It paved the way for Finnish dominance in the mobile market.

Max Payne, 2001

Remedy’s Max Payne is known for bullet time and storytelling. Its gritty noir style and dialogue made it a classic cop game. The main character is one of the most iconic in video game history.

Angry Birds, 2009

Smartphones and the App Store changed mobile gaming. Rovio released Angry Birds in 2009 for iOS. It became a global hit and remains the most popular mobile game of all time. With 12 million downloads after release, it proved mobile gaming was a viable platform.