The sandbox game "Pax Dei" Wins Top Honor at Finnish Game Awards 2025
- Sahil Mankar
- May 18
- 2 min read
The Finnish Game Awards 2025 took place on May 13, honoring standout titles and industry figures across nine key categories—while also celebrating a major milestone: 30 years of Finland’s gaming industry.
Pax Dei Claims Game of the Year
Mainframe Industries took home the top honor with Pax Dei, which was named Finnish Game of the Year 2024. The open-world, social sandbox MMO immerses players in a myth-infused medieval setting where magic is real, and stories are player-driven.
Built in Unreal Engine 5, the game launched in Steam Early Access on June 18, 2024, drawing inspiration from MMORPGs like EVE Online and survival-crafting titles.
This year’s ceremony broke with tradition by recognizing runner-ups as well:
2nd Place: Supermoves by Makea Games
3rd Place (tie):
Lego Hill Climb Adventures by Fingersoft
Finnish Cottage Simulator by Ranela Games
Squad Busters by Supercell
“This year’s gala was a bit unusual,” noted Joni Lappalainen, Chairman of the Finnish Game Developers’ Association. “Finland is globally recognized for its mobile games, but in 2024, only a handful of new mobile titles were released.”
Indeed, all winners this year were games for PC or console, marking a clear shift in the Finnish gaming scene.
Notable Wins & Industry Highlights
Finnish Cottage Simulator made a strong showing, winning two awards, including the W Love Games Excellence Award—a nod to the rise of distinctly Finnish simulator titles.
Meanwhile, Ilkka Paananen, co-founder of Supercell, received the prestigious Power Player of the Year award. His leadership continues to elevate Finland’s global presence in gaming.
Complete List of Winners – Finnish Game Awards 2025
Category | Winner |
Finnish Game of the Year 2024 | Pax Dei (Mainframe Industries) |
2nd Place (Game of the Year) | Supermoves (Makea Games) |
3rd Place (Game of the Year - tie) | Lego Hill Climb Adventures (Fingersoft) |
Finnish Cottage Simulator (Ranela Games) | |
Squad Busters (Supercell) | |
Power Player of the Year 2024 | Ilkka Paananen |
Best Creative Achievement of the Year | Pools (Tensori) |
Rookie of the Year 2024 | Hanki Games |
Bit1 Game Competition 2025 | Spaceship Scavenger (Team Scavenger) |
W Love Games Excellence Award 2024 | Finnish Cottage Simulator (Ranela Games) |
Finnish Game Jam – Jampion of the Year | Ali İrdiren |
IGDA Volunteer of the Year 2024 | Daria Bokovaya |
IGDA Lifetime Achievement 2025 | Christopher Hamilton |
Behind the Scenes
The Finnish Game Developers’ Association selected the Game of the Year nominees and winners via a member vote, choosing from over 70 Finnish commercial releases in 2024.
The gala was supported by top industry sponsors:
Platinum: Housemarque
Gold: Small Giant Games
Silver: 10tons, Colossal Order, Fingersoft, Kuuasema, Metacore Games, Metaplay, Next Games (a Netflix Game Studio), Supercell, Ubisoft RedLynx
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