European Space Agency and Finnish Game Jam launch creativity into orbit at Spaceship Game Jam

July 2, 2025 – Finnish Game Jam (FGJ) and The European Space Agency (ESA) are joining forces to host the first ever Spaceship Game Jam, an innovative, collaborative game development event.

The event is designed to propel creativity and inspire new ideas for some of the key space exploration challenges as humanity reaches out second time towards the Moon and beyond.

Spaceship Game Jam is a single, coordinated event taking place on August 29th to 31st simultaneously across multiple locations in Finland, as well as online. Taking place in a dynamic, hackathon-style format, the Spaceship Game Jam invites participants to design and prototype games or playful concepts inspired by real-world space issues identified at ESA. By combining the imaginative power of game development with ESA’s cutting-edge expertise in space exploration, the event offers a unique opportunity to tackle challenges in space science, technology, and exploration.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of The European Space Agency, and encourages us to ask what we want to see happen in the next 50 years. Along with such goals as sustainability and supporting European STEM education, ESA is committed to fostering innovation and engagement with the broader community, including the vibrant world of game development”, said Noora Archer, who works with VR development and space exploration preparation at ESA. “Spaceship Game Jam exemplifies this commitment by creating an inclusive, creative opportunity for fresh perspectives and bold ideas to come alive and flourish.”

The event is open to all, dedicated to fostering equal and safe space opportunity to participate, and requires no previous experience with game jams or hackathons. Curiosity and a desire to explore are the only requirements. Participants can dive into the experience of creating something new and impactful while learning about the future of European space exploration, its challenges and opportunities.

There is no participation fee for the event. Each event site is unique, but they all aim to cultivate a space for innovation and exploration. Whether a participant is a seasoned developer, a space enthusiast, or someone just looking to experiment, Spaceship Game Jam welcomes you aboard.

A game jam is a creative event where participants come together to design and build games from scratch, usually within a short, intense time frame (a weekend in our case). The games are typically small in scope and developed by individuals or small teams. While some game jams are structured as competitions, Spaceship Game Jam is not about winning, it’s about exploration, collaboration, and creativity.

https://spaceshipgamejam.org/
https://1drv.ms/f/c/ef4fc53366807cf8/EtZ_xzSwtqJDhulkdzViTdsBhrVJ3MZ2cKtX_9ZeIfNZdw?e=TcZH9e (photos)
https://discord.gg/s7bqzAEPYZ (digital press room)

Finnish Game Jam / Vesa Raudasoja / vesa@finnishgamejam.com
ESA / Noora Archer / noora.archer@esa.int

The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organization, the only fully international Space Agency by definition, dedicated to space exploration and research. Founded in 1975 the year 2025 marks its 50th Anniversary. With 22 member states, its mission is to coordinate especially Europe’s space activities, including satellite launches, scientific missions, earth observation, and human space exploration. Headquartered in Paris and with research activities around many European countries, ESA develops cutting-edge technologies and has led major achievements such as the Rosetta comet mission, the Mars Express orbiter, and the Ariane rocket program. ESA plays a key role in advancing global space science and supporting sustainable development on Earth. More info:https://www.esa.int

Spaceship Game Jam is named after its direct connection point and operational touchpoint at ESA: the Spaceships. Across Europe, ESA and CNES are fostering next-generation innovation through three collaborative initiatives called Spaceships: Spaceship EAC in Germany, Spaceship ECSAT in the UK, and Spaceship FR in France are hubs that bring together students, researchers, and industry to explore the technologies that will enable sustainable human and robotic missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. From virtual reality astronaut training and autonomous robotics to resource utilization and habitat design, each team tackles the complex challenges of living and working in space. Together, these teams are shaping the future of space exploration, driven by collaboration, creativity, and a shared vision for humanity beyond Earth.

Finnish Game Jam ry (FGJ) is a non-profit organisation that has been organising and facilitating game jams in Finland for more than a decade. The association hosts game jams monthly - for various audiences and of various scale, with their own forces, or with different collaborators. These events gather thousands of jammers every year constantly bringing new jams to the scene and enriching the Finnish gamedev community. FGJ mission is to challenge the status quo, embrace innovation, and create meaningful, lasting impact through their diverse events. Driven by a vision to inspire change and push boundaries, Finnish Game Jam delivers game jamming events that truly make a difference. More info: https://www.finnishgamejam.com