Choose Oulu, a Thriving Gamedev Town

Our lovely friends at BusinessOulu are joining us as Partners for Games Job Fair Autumn 2023 and we have a wonderful message from them. Join us on a journey to discover why you should consider, and hopefully Choose Oulu.

Choose Oulu?

The first rumblings about Oulu as a serious place where games can be made started in the 00's. The time when the likes of Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii were all the rage for the console-gaming folk and World of Warcraft made waves on the PC-side. Oulu was not shy in its ambitions with a studio developing games for the widely successful handheld console, Nintendo DS.

But why should you get out here now? What is it in Oulu that enables a higher grade of living? For starters, there was a reason we got a bit nostalgic at the beginning, the fact that Oulu has had a recognizable game industry up and running for nearly a quarter of a century is definitely something to write home about.?

It means that the industry is well-established with industry veterans in our midst. And even better, because we're a relatively small town, getting to chat with one in a local game industry event is more likely to happen than not. The game industry in Finland has always relied on community, and Oulu is no different. Because Oulu has had a game industry for a good while, it's a good place to come learn and develop your skills and career further. There's also variety in studios from mobile to PC and cross platform, so there are places to choose from depending on interest and ambition level.

“In addition to the more established scene, we also have new talent coming up and forming their own studios, making it possible to find your dream team and get a jumpstart on the innovative game ideas young teams are cooking up.”, says Anne Ryyn?nen , Business Advisor for the Creative Industries at BusinessOulu.?

But what about life outside of work? The all-important work-life balance? Burnout is a thing that plagues the game industry as much as any other knowledge-intensive industry, if not even more. But it does not have to be that way. For instance, local mobile game studio, Fingersoft 's model where employees can have 90% pay with 80% work hours makes sure work-life balance is in order.

With the knowledge that there will be free time to spare, what does Oulu has to offer for those long winter nights? The answer is quite simple: nature. There's really nothing like heading into the nature trails for a walk and let your brains rest. Nature is close to you even in the city centre, you can catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis, bike to Nallikari beach – yes, also in the winter – or get your heart rate up in Kuusisaari’s outdoor fitness park.

Besides, watching the seasons change means you have a whole different type of city to enjoy shifting from winter to summer. But what if you're not really a nature person? Fear not, Oulu has a myriad of cozy coffee shops, festivals, museums, and other culture ongoings to attend. After all, Oulu is the European Culture Capital of 2026.

Did we convince you already? Are you packing your bags and booking a flight??

Find out more about what it's like to be a future Oulu resident and book your appointment here: https://oulu.com/en/oulu/current-topics-from-oulu/future-residents-of-oulu/??