Girls Make Games Workshop at Rovio Stockholm

To promote diversity and inspire the younger generation, Rovio hosted a workshop with Girls Make Games – a US-based organisation focusing on opening up the world of game development for young girls. Eight girls between 9 and 15 came to visit the Rovio Stockholm office last month to learn more about the mobile gaming industry, to hear from Rovians and ask questions about their career paths, and also to build their own games.

The day was full of hands-on work, by the end of which, each girl had created their own platformer game complete with various levels, animations, art and music. The girls were using Construct 3 to work on their creations – a game making software that is easy to pick up but at the same time provides all the necessary resources for game development.

The day also included a fireside chat with Rovians who shared their personal paths to success in the gaming industry, including marketing and technical art, design and UX craft representatives. The Rovians shared their firsthand experience on how they decided to embark on this journey, what they like about working in the game industry, and what they do day-to-day in their jobs.

It was great seeing all of the girls so fully immersed in their game development process! As organisers, we were particularly flattered to hear positive feedback after the workshop both from the girls and their parents. The girls were excited to continue working on their projects even after the workshop and they couldn’t wait to get all of the materials from us to continue perfecting their games.

Thank you Girls Make Games for such great support before the workshop! Special shoutout to Alexandra Palfelt (gameplay designer), Adrian Björkholm (technical artist), Gabriela Marchioro (senior marketing artist), Guilherme Belotti (lead game designer), Embla Fröberg (2D artist), Robin David Cocks (gameplay designer), Sophia Yiasoumi (UX research and insights director) who were mentoring girls and helping them with the game development process. Extra thanks to Anastasiia Nikitina (product manager), Yumi Oishi (Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), Ronja Aynousse (office manager) and Paul Harris (senior IT support specialist) for helping organise the workshop and coordinate along the way.

Rovio will continue to nurture diversity both inside and outside of the company by organising similar events. Women continue to be underrepresented in the gaming industry and this gap is something we all can help bridge.