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This is your chance to connect with upcoming talent before they step into their internships. Exchange ideas, explore collaboration opportunities, and discover future team members ready to thrive in digital environments.

Register by 20 October to secure your spot!

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Date: 23 October
Time: 14:30 – 17:00
Location: Futuregames, Hammarby Fabriksväg 61 (Room 102)

Futuregames Q&A

“Communication is what has made the best projects in my opinion. When there is an honest and open communication that’s when we have done the best games. When the communication has been unclear that’s when the game hasn’t felt as polished and cohesive.”

Isabelle Heiskanen

We sat down with Cecilia and Isabelle to explore what inspired their leap into game design, the challenges and rewards of the program, and the big dreams they’re building – one game at a time.

Isabelle: I have been working as a store manager for 10 years. I started my path at GameStop and worked there over a period of 9 years. I have always loved to play games, and I can’t remember a time where I didn’t. Even when going to Spain or Greece with the family, me and my cousin played Pokémon on Gameboy Colour at the beach.

Cecilia: I’ve been a professional dancer and choreographer for the past 20 years, working both in institutional theatres and dance companies as well as freelancing and creating my own projects from founding to performing. Crafting and delivering experiences has been my centre of gravity for as long as I can remember. Games was a huge part of my youth and finding my way back into this world has been such a beautiful discovery.

What inspired you to apply for the Game Designer program at Futuregames?

Isabelle: I have been doing game programming and game design about 2 years before I started Futuregames. I felt that I needed a better understanding and a good education to be able to make my dream come true. After hearing a lot of good things and having some friends that were going to Futuregames I decided to apply.

Cecilia: I’m a curious being by nature and as a dancer I knew the time would eventually come to re-educate. Being back in gaming and seeing the vast possibilities got my curiosity going. The decision to cancel my contract with my employer, the dance company Cullberg before even knowing if I was accepted into Futuregames might seem like a crazy thing to do, but once the idea of being able to make games was planted into me I simply couldn’t resist. I’m a dancer, it’s more than a profession, it’s the way I perceive and interact with the world now bringing everything I am with me and seeing the parallels withing game development is so exciting.

“The most rewarding is to have teachers from the industry”

What has been the most rewarding aspect of the program so far?

Isabelle: I have loved everything about it so far. But the most rewarding is to have teachers from the industry. You get new connections but also the real-life experience and workflow.

Cecilia: It’s hard to pick any specific aspect. I love everything about my new life. But the day to day most rewarding thing is creating and crafting together with people who are just as curious and ready to push boundaries as I am. And of course, the super inspiring industry professionals coming in to teach us, playtest our games and helping us to build a network.

How would you describe your overall experience at Futuregames?

Isabelle: Educational and fun combined. That is what drives me everyday, we get to learn in a fun and creative way. 

Cecilia: Its a fast paced but very well-structured education. As a student with no prior tech knowledge, having worked my entire life analogue, it’s hard work to keep up. I’m thanking the dancer in me for my high work ethic, my go-getter-enduring-persisting-curious-practice based way of going about things. Treating it as a job is crucial and so rewarding.

What have been the highlights of working on game projects during the program?

Isabelle: The highlights of the game projects have been to get to know the programmers and get to work with industry standard programs like Perforce etc. It has also been a good learning curve to work on a game in bigger teams.

Cecilia: I love seeing the way a product of collaboration grows into something much greater than the sum of each individual’s contributions. Being able to work within that place of trust and allowing the unknown to unfold is so beautiful. It’s been amazing working together with my fellow students, Designers, Programmers, 3D Artists, Visual Effect Artists and Immersive Experience Creators and to see how all discipline complement and inspire each other.

“Trusting in each other and the project”

What makes your team collaborations so successful?

Isabelle: Communication is what has made the best projects in my opinion. When there is an honest and open communication that’s when we have done the best games. When the communication has been unclear that’s when the game hasn’t felt as polished and cohesive.

Cecilia: A safe working environment, where each member has agency and creative space as well as taking and carrying the responsibility for the project together is crucial. Throughout my career I led numerous creations with both small and large groups and somethings will always stay the same no matter what you are crafting:

• Sharing a common goal
• Trusting in each other and the project
• Understanding your own responsibilities and possibilities
• Having fun!

What are your future goals or dreams in the game design industry?

Isabelle: I would love to work in a studio like Hazelight or Dice as a Technical Designer. Right now, I am looking forward to work in Unreal Engine in Game Project 3 and to work together with the Project Management class. This will be a new experience and a new learning curve which I am really looking forward to.

Cecilia: I want to create games. I want it to be more than a profession, a way I can perceive and interact with the world.  I want to be creative. I want to become a part of this community. My eyes are wide open looking for opportunities and I know they will come if I keep working hard, keep dreaming, keep wanting to do this. Exactly how these opportunities will look like, I don’t know and for me that’s what’s so exciting. Maybe it’s even my own game dev studio.

Futuregames game projects

A couple of weeks ago, we invited you to sign up to participate in these game tests, and we were thrilled to see so many of you interested in helping out. Now the time has come – the games are ready to be tested!

Here’s how it works:
Want to help our students by testing their work-in-progress games and sharing your feedback?

Visit their Itch pages, play their builds, and let them know what you think!

Project Neila

Captured on an alien planet and infused with telekinetic powers and elemental abilities, you must creatively leverage your enhanced arm to escape a chaotic research facility filled with dangerously modified creatures.

Enginelight

In a world destroyed by AI and robotic warfare, a lone survivor in Hälsingland, Sweden, finds a battered old car after a deadly encounter with a Mega Mech. With nothing left to lose, he turns it into his weapon and sets out to strike back against the machines.

Absolute Shipshow

Grab whatever you can find, think fast, and work as a team to survive waves of enemies and claim the treasure. You play as a completely unprepared pirate thrown into the action. Use your surroundings, your creativity, and each other to fight back and stay afloat.

Viscerate

Viscerate is a fast-paced first-person shooter blending roguelite mechanics with strategic depth and modular upgrades. Designed for intermediate to hardcore players, the game delivers an intense combat experience where every run is a fresh challenge.

Blood Maiden

In this roguelike, you’ll die so often that you will master every spell fuelled by the magic of this bloody beautiful red liquid! Slice through your enemies in your quest for revenge.

Yahweh’s creation

After the archbishop of a grand cathedral mysteriously passes away, his successor takes the mantle and exerts his rule with an iron fist. As he twists the doctrine of the god he worships, he and his followers grow twisted and monstrous in their greed and defiance. Now more power hungry than ever, the Archbishops ultimate plan is set in motion.

Thornbound

In the depths of the forgotten countryside stands Castle Kravia—an ancient, mysterious ruin cloaked in silence and legend. Few recall its origins, but all who enter seek one thing: Virellis, a mythical flower said to cure any illness, heal any wound, even grant immortality. Long retired from magic, Zerim—once a renowned mage—had chosen peace and family. But when his granddaughter Elira fell gravely ill and all magic failed, a single clue from his past reignited his purpose: a journal, a name, and a last hope—Virellis.

Røsvik

You are Doctor Dan – a surveyor sent out by the Norwegian tourism department, to investigate a settlement in northern Norway called Røsvik, once home to outcasts, faith-healers, and pagan holdouts. Officially, the settlement was abandoned due to “unstable terrain,” but the locals talk of something more sinister.

Thrall

You are the forgotten ghost of a tyrant king, shattered in body and memory. Awakened by a broken ritual deep in ancient catacombs, you possess the living to reclaim fragments of your former self. Through stolen memories and haunted ruins, you piece together the truth of your reign…and why it had to end.

Steamwrecked

In a scorched, mechanical world ravaged by fossil fuel overuse, the surface has become a lifeless wasteland while the wealthy thrive in hovering cities high above. You are a scavenger from the Sandwalkers Guild, tasked with salvaging resources from the ruins below. When your airship crashes deep in the hostile terrain, survival means repairing your ship and navigating the remnants of a broken world.

Futuregames Q&A

” I had a regular business desk job before coming to Futuregames. Getting into the programme gave me the confidence and the opportunity to be able to tackle aspects of game development I’d always thought were too difficult for me”

Johanna Kasurinen

What began as a student collaboration at Futuregames has evolved into one of the most distinctive voices in the indie game scene. Wrong Organ was founded by a group of Futuregames classmates driven by a shared creative vision.

Kai Moore: All the founders of Wrong Organ met while attending Futuregames’ Game Design class of 2021. The inciting thing for us was mainly How Fish is Made, which was originally a school project. The design document was actually what Johanna submitted in her application, then Martin and Jeff offered to help make it into a game. They released it for free on Steam and it got a lot of attention. Throughout the rest of our time attending Futuregames, we had the chance to work together, whether that was through school projects, or games we pursued making in our spare time. Over time, we realized our overlap in the kinds of games we wanted to pursue creating, plus the evident success behind How Fish is Made, made us start Wrong Organ to keep making games together and hopefully turn our passion into a sustainable studio.

“The absolute most valuable part about attending Futuregames was meeting the other students”

What did your time at Futuregames mean to you?

Johanna Kasurinen: I’d always thought I just didn’t have the base skills necessary to become a game developer. I had a regular business desk job before coming to Futuregames. Getting into the programme gave me the confidence and the opportunity to be able to tackle aspects of game development I’d always thought were too difficult for me. It forces you to challenge yourself but you also figure out aspects of game development that you didn’t think you’d like and that you can learn more about. All in all though, the absolute most valuable part about attending Futuregames was meeting the other students. You learn to work in different teams and roles, solving new issues with all types of people for the projects. You meet people who will be your peers, coworkers and friends within the industry for your entire career.

Martin Halldin: I went in thinking I wanted to become a generalist game designer or an indie developer and that FG was the best place to learn as much about those things as possible. But over time I found that my niche had always been sound design and music, because that’s what I gravitated towards in each game project.

What do you carry with you from the education into your roles today? What was the best part?

Johanna: I think personally it equipped me with a “if I don’t know how to do something, just figure out a way” mindset. When writing my first game narrative I didn’t know how a multiple choice script was supposed to be formatted, so I just tackled it in a manner that made the most sense to me after looking into the scripts of various other games. If I hadn’t been pushed to just make something I think I could’ve sat on the uncertainty of beginning that task for a long time. Simply starting something is usually much more valuable than trying to hit some high standard from the beginning.

Martin : The best part of the education was meeting my peers. Wrong Organ was formed during the education by all of us getting to know each other and working together through the game projects and I’m thankful for that opportunity. Being supported by the school, our teachers and friends was a fantastic opportunity.

How do you succeed as a game studio in today’s industry?

Johanna: This industry is constantly, rapidly changing. So even if something seems like a “safe move” business-wise one moment, the gaming landscape can change within a year to where that simply isn’t true anymore. Even smaller indie titles can’t survive trying to chase trends. That’s why our approach has from the beginning been that above all else we want to stick to our own creative vision. We make games that we want to play, we tell stories that we feel need telling. Even if they’re strange or “non-commercial” or challenging. It’s what makes us happy as game developers. All we can do is hope that the vision and execution of our games resonate with people.

“A good game designer is a person who is motivated and curious”

What does it take to become a game designer – or to succeed in other roles in the industry – today?

Johanna: Having a point of view is important. An interest in games and how they work underneath the hood is a given, but having a desire to create something new is what really differentiates you from the pack. What you create doesn’t even have to be any good at first. Not everyone needs to understand the vision. It should just be something that excites you. You can feel it when games have been made with that kind of energy behind them. For narrative designers and artists specifically I always have the same advice, but it applies to all aspects of game design. Get inspiration outside of games or books, outside of media overall. Having hobbies and trying new real world things is essential to innovation and finding unique ideas.

Martin: A good game designer is a person who is motivated and curious. You don’t need to see each task as a challenge or as a problem to solve, but having a vision of what you want to make and finding any way possible to get close to that vision is what will make you stand out. I’m speaking from an indie developers point of view but I believe you have to drive the project forward any way you can. That means if you don’t know how to do something you learn it yourself. To quote Katya Zamolodchikova: Be your own dentist.

What are the future plans for Wrong Organ?

Kai: As a studio, our dream is to create games that have our strange atmosphere, tone, and aesthetic. We want those core elements to be present no matter the genre of game we pursue. That idea of people not knowing what to expect from us, but knowing it’ll have that Wrong Organ vibe is definitely what we’re hoping to establish going forward. We believe that How Fish is Made and Mouthwashing has proven our ability to make engaging narrative experiences. With our next game we want to show our studio’s capacity to make strong gameplay driven experiences as well.

Futuregames Q&A

“In the future, I would like to help strengthen the Polish WIG community with the shared goal of empowering, inspiring, and supporting young girls who are just starting out in the game industry and don’t know where to begin.”

Tatiana Simonovici

With organizing empowering Women in Games (WIG) Ambassador breakfasts to connecting peers and mentors across borders, Tatiana is combining technical growth with community leadership. We spoke with Tatiana about her journey at Futuregames and her vision for the next generation of women in games.

Tatiana Simonovici’s path to the game dev world came via the dance floor and the classroom.

– I’m originally from Ukraine. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Language, with a focus on teaching practice. During my final year of studies, I began working as a dance teacher in my hometown, Chernivtsi, with a small group of girls. In addition, I conducted dance workshops at various festivals such as Tavale, as well as at smaller local events in my city. I dedicated 15 years to dance, which taught me a great deal – from organizing and collaboration to the importance of teamwork. Later on, I worked as an English teacher with children aged 6 to 12.

What inspired you to apply to Futuregames?

– I applied to Futuregames to gain specialized knowledge and experience from a highly respected program in the field. It was also a great opportunity to collaborate with like-minded students, as we complete four game projects during the program.

“It pushes to expand skills and think creatively”

How would you describe your experience at Futuregames so far?

– I like the program because we have various lectures from industry professionals who explain the latest tools and technologies used in game development. The learning environment is challenging, yet rewarding, as it pushes us to expand our skills and think creatively. I also appreciate the positive impact of teamwork during the game projects.

 Could you share your experience arranging the WIG Ambassadors breakfast? 

– After becoming an ambassador in January, I organized a breakfast event to bring Polish ambassadors together at the Warsaw campus. The goal was to foster support among women in the industry and help build a stronger, more connected community. First I had to find polish ambassadors via LinkedIn and bring them in one chat so they could communicate and cooperate with each other. I invited them to Futuregames Warsaw to connect, but most importantly to inspire younger girls and students at Futuregames, as they can share experiences and encourage self-belief.

Who has attended the breakfasts and what has the reactions been like?

– Reactions have been very positive, and the girls eagerly supported the initiative. We invited mostly Polish ambassadors, along with one guest WIG ambassador from Greece, Elena Dimopoulou. Other attendees included Alexander Lomonosov, Gameplay Designer at CDPR; Ewelina Słowik from SPERASOFT; students; and mentors. I believe even more game industry professionals will attend future events, as the girls are likely to bring additional guests.

Inspiration and empowerment

In your opinion, why are events like the WIG Ambassadors breakfast important?

– Events like the WIG (Women in Games) Ambassadors breakfast are incredibly important for several reasons:

Networking and community building. These connections can lead to mentorship, collaboration, and new career opportunities, which are essential for personal and professional growth.

Inspiration and empowerment. Such events can inspire attendees by showcasing successful role models and sharing stories of overcoming challenges.

Advocacy for diversity and inclusion. The breakfast event serves as a platform for discussing issues related to gender equality and diversity within the gaming industry.

Knowledge sharing. In this event industry experts can share their insights and experiences. This helps attendees stay informed about trends, opportunities, and challenges in the gaming industry, empowering them with knowledge they can apply to their careers.

What are your aspirations or plans for the future?

– In the future, I would like to help strengthen the Polish WIG community with the shared goal of empowering, inspiring, and supporting young girls who are just starting out in the game industry and don’t know where to begin.

Futuregames Q&A

“For the most part, I’ve had a fantastic time with Futuregames here in Umeå so far. In my opinion, the most important thing that vocational studies provide isn’t the actual lectures, but the context for learning. Being able to learn together with my classmates here in Umeå and from our sister sites in northern Sweden and in Poland is what pushes and motivates me.”

Stefan Eriksson

Stefan Eriksson is a student in Futuregames first Game Designer class in Umeå. Not only was he born in the city, but he also has an impressive background in Umeå’s indie game scene.

– I was born and raised in Umeå with PC gaming in my blood – my dad wanted my brother and me to learn computers from an early age, so the step towards gaming was a short one. Professionally, I have a background in IT, where I managed a customer support department before moving into project management. When I realized that IT really wasn’t for me, I went back to school to study digital media production, and later on, I did my first tour at Futuregames in Project Management Games & IT!

– After that I started working at eXpression Umeå, which is an incubator for cultural and creative companies. An incubator supports the business side of start-up companies with advice, lectures, mentoring and coworking space, and my role there was to provide support for Umeå’s thriving indie game scene. I ran a community called Game Hub Umeå, organized events like after-work dinners, game jams and female meetups, and collaborated with Umeå Kommun and Arctic Game to promote our local studios and companies. I met more or less every gaming-adjacent company in Umeå during my time there, which gave me a newfound appreciation for how widespread the industry really is!

What made you choose the Game Designer program at Futuregames Umeå?

– I think I’ve known for a while that although I’ve worked with project management for a long time, it’s not really where my heart is. After I left my job at eXpression, I thought for a long while about what I really wanted to do, and I realized that although I really enjoy helping others achieve their goals, I had sort of neglected my own dreams – actually creating games. I considered my options and decided that I really wanted to get back to my creative roots, and, well, what’s more creative than game design?

– By chance, Futuregames was opening a new game design program in Umeå, something I’d been actively working towards together with Arctic Game in my previous job – and the rest is history!

How has your experience at Futuregames Umeå been? What is the community like?

– For the most part, I’ve had a fantastic time with Futuregames here in Umeå so far. In my opinion, the most important thing that vocational studies provide isn’t the actual lectures, but the context for learning. Being able to learn together with my classmates here in Umeå and from our sister sites in northern Sweden and in Poland is what pushes and motivates me. We ask each other for help, we learn from each other, and we support each other when the game engine refuses to cooperate.

– There’s also something special about being the first students here in Umeå and being back on campus where I’ve always been really comfortable. We’re in the process of setting up a student association and planning how to welcome next year’s students to really grow our small community. I think everyone’s really excited about it!

How does the mentorship program work?

– Apart from the scheduled lectures, we have two types of mentors – quite often we have guest lecturers available online who stay on as mentors for the duration of a course, and they provide help and feedback on request. It’s pretty easy to just share your screen, show off a level or a piece of code, and get their thoughts on what you’ve just built. Then we have mentors on site as well, who are developers from some of the studios that have coworking spaces in the same building on campus. They help with many of the same issues as our online mentors, but perhaps more importantly, just give us a grounded and realistic look at what it’s like to be a game developer. When our mentor Oskar tells me to take a step back and look at the big picture, well, that’s usually exactly what’s needed!

Do students have access to Umeå’s games industry?

– I think that’s the wrong question to ask, because that implies students aren’t part of the games industry, and we most definitely are! What’s important to remember is that although the Swedish games industry is worth more than the music and movie industries combined, it’s still a pretty small and close-knit community. Developers want to hang out with other developers, and game dev students are junior developers. We have industry developers as our mentors, we invite them to our board game nights, we meet them at industry breakfasts and they visit us at school.

What do you see as the biggest advantages of studying game dev at Futuregames Umeå?

– Two things stand out! First of all, Umeå is a city built around its university and although Futuregames isn’t part of the university itself, our classrooms are located on the same campus so much of what applies to the university students applies to us. Everything is close by, there are great bus and bike options and a lot of classic student traditions like the World Brännboll Championship – and there’s always something going on around campus.

– Also, and perhaps more importantly, Umeå has a long tradition when it comes to video games, spanning all the way back to the ’90s. A lot of big titles have been created right here in Umeå, for both PC, console and mobile, and many of the devs who made those games are still here, along with their knowledge and their networks. And as I mentioned before, they’re usually more than happy to share their experience with us. It’s funny though, because this side of Umeå is rarely talked about or advertised by the city itself. We’re big on culture here, we should absolutely be promoting our games scene more.

What are your future plans as a Game Designer?

– Well, I’m realizing each and every day how much more there is to learn, and how deeply you can specialize if you want to. But I’m leaning towards narrative design, as I’ve always been a big fan of telling stories. I currently get my creative outlet through tabletop roleplaying games, but if I could do that on a grander scale – quests and stories in CRPGs, maybe, then that’d make me really happy. A lot of people have dreams of working for one of the largest studios in the industry, but I think I’d be happiest in a small to mid-sized studio where I could know everyone and we’d be excited about making our games together.

– It’s funny because sometimes it can feel like a really long way off – but then I remember other people I know who’ve studied here and immediately got picked up by Hazelight, Chief Rebel or Arrowhead, and it suddenly doesn’t feel that far off anymore!

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