​Join us for Games Now! Event Week 2025 — a week-long celebration of games, creativity, and community at Aalto University. This year’s edition brings together developers, researchers, students, and enthusiasts for an inspiring series of game experts' talks, a game jam (sort of a hackathon of game making), a game exhibition, and a special movie screening.

​NOTE: Please check your spam email folder in case you have not received the confirmation email after RSVP.

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​Event Highlights

​GN! Talk (10–12 November) @Marsio, Otaniemi

​Three days of engaging sessions exploring the future of game creation — from AI in games, Applied games, Games & Films, to Roblox games. Hear from industry experts, innovators, and researchers shaping the next wave of interactive media.

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​Programmes

• ​10 November (Monday): GN! Talks, followed by Opening Party!

• ​11 November (Tuesday): GN! Talks, and GN! Game Jam #17 kick-off

• ​12 November (Wednesday): GN! Student Talks

​The talks will also be live streamed at https://www.twitch.tv/gamesnowaaltofi

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Speakers and Topics

​Monday, 10 Nov (GN! Talks)

​10-13 (Finnish time)

​Miro Vesterinen (Head of Environment Art at Remedy Entertainment): Bridging Cinema & Game Environments

​Sami Arola (Technical Director at Fireframe): Creative Crossroads - Games, Film & the Evolution of Story Tools

​14-17 (Finnish time)

​Olli Raudus (CEO at All Hats): How Roblox Works - Lessons for Game Developers

​Teemu Haila (Co-founder & CPO at Metaplay): The Four Pillars of Scaling a Live Service Game

​Panel — Imagining the Future of Games with Generative AI:
Hanna Toivonen (CEO & Co-founder at Starstuff)
Roope Rainisto (Creative AI Lead at Supercell)
Tatu Petersen-Jessen (CEO & Co-founder at Odd Latent)
Christian Guckelsberger (Assistant Professor at Aalto University)

​Tuesday, 11 Nov (GN! Talks)

​10-12 (Finnish time)

​Lauri Lukka (Chief Psychology Officer & Co-founder at Soihtu DTX): Back in the Game - Using a Video Game to Treat Depression

​Laura Piispanen (Researcher at Aalto University): Quantum Games - Definition and Development Practices

​13-17 (Finnish time)

​Eero Lahtinen & Antti Ukkola (System Erasure): System Erasure’s Divine Comedy - How Simply Making Games Becomes Something Serious

​Begüm Doğan (Hexen): Indie Game Marketing Spellbook - Bewitching Trends of 2025

​GN! Game Jam #17 kick-off

​Wednesday, 12 Nov (GN! Student Talks)

​10-12.30 (Finnish time)

​Iiro Peltonen (Aalto University, Film & TV Professional, Game Design & Development): What Can Game Developers Learn from the Film Industry?

​Bardia Eghbali (Broken Cane): The Walls are on the Floor - The Technical Art of Aris Arcanum

​Diandra Kathyusha Herli (Aalto University, Game Designer & Developer): Designing for the Body - The Future of Immersive Game Interaction

​12.45 - 15 (Finnish time)

​Hiski Huovila (Aalto University, Game Design & Development): Digital Dungeon Design - Learning from the Tabletop Tradition

​Arya Rakha (Aalto University, Technical Designer): Machinations - Introduction to Simulating Game Economies

​Heidi Abdolvahabi (Aalto University, Game Design & Development): Taming the Dragon - The Journey of Utilizing PCG in a Game Art Workflow

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​Games Now! Game Jam #17 (10–16 November) @Marsio, Otaniemi + Around the earth

​Create, collaborate, and experiment. Games Now! Game Jam #17 runs throughout the week from Monday until Sunday, inviting participants of all skill levels to design and develop games in a supportive, creative environment. The jam is cross-cultural setting, involving jammers from various parts of the earth from our 20+ GN! school partners. If you're an Aalto student, you can also claim study credits by jamming on-site at Marsio, Otaniemi. (Course info: Games Now! 2025-26, AXM-E5008)

​Interested in joining the jam? Register here (redirects to a separate form)
Join our GN! Discord server: https://discord.gg/YsgagHX

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GN! Movie Now x Cinema Sheryl @Marsio Cinema, Otaniemi

​A special movie screening with Games Now! — experiencing storytelling and creativity across medium. This year at GN! Movie Now, we work with Cinema Sheryl to feature A Minecraft Movie.

​Interested in watching a film together? Buy tickets here (redirects to a separate page)

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​GN! Exhibition @Marsio, Otaniemi

​Experience a curated showcase of student and community games. This year, we will feature an amazing lineup of games made by our jammers from the previous Games Now! Game Jams. Play the games and win the raffle prize :)

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​Come learn, create, and celebrate games with us at Games Now! Week 2025. https://gamesnow.aalto.fi/