Rovio unveils an industry-wide guide for inclusive game design

Helsinki, November 29th. Reaching billions of players, the game industry is one of the most influential forces in entertainment. Rovio has recognized that even casual games can have an immense influence on shaping our perceptions. To bring more transparency to its work in diversity, equity and inclusion, Rovio has published its Playbook for Inclusive Game Development and Marketing.

”We in the games industry have enormous power and responsibility in defining what is normal and what is acceptable. There are no simple hacks or shortcuts to building diverse and inclusive games, it all starts with building diverse and inclusive game companies. We want this to be a new conversation starter for the industry in need of self-reflection so we’re encouraging both our employees and the wider gaming community to reflect, engage in conversations with people from various backgrounds, and challenge their own perceptions,” says Heini Kaihu, Rovio’s Chief Sustainability Officer.

The Playbook delves deep into crucial aspects of creating inclusive games, offering actionable lists and concrete how-to’s for industry professionals on themes such as non-binary characters, game accessibility, inclusive narratives, and harmful stereotypes in gaming. The first version of the Playbook was produced internally by inviting Rovio’s employees to share their best practices, and shape actionable items from the collective insight.

“By launching this Playbook, we aim to share our accumulated learnings from creating one of the most loved game franchises in history. However, we do recognize that this is only the first step in our journey towards truly inclusive game development: In the future we also want to engage our core audiences and stakeholders to help us embrace diversity and create more inclusive gaming experiences by developing the content even further,” Kaihu adds.

The Playbook is available for free download and serves as a comprehensive resource for creating games that cater for a diverse audience.

Download the Playbook here.