Housemarque and the Finnish Game Industry: 30 Years and Counting

The Finnish studio Housemarque celebrated its 30th anniversary in May 2025. This is a major milestone not only for the studio itself but also for the country's game industry, as Housemarque still holds the title of Finland's oldest game studio. Given the country's size, Finland has produced an exceptional number of prominent developers: Supercell, Remedy, Colossal Order, and the birthday boy Housemarque, to name just a few of the most well-known.

This phenomenon has deep roots, particularly in the 1990s demoscene, which attracted a large group of tech-savvy individuals eager to showcase their skills. The demoscene is about competition and demonstrating skills, where developers must create the most impressive technical demos within strict limitations. These restrictions often push the limits of technology: how can you create a stunning video with just a few kilobytes of memory?

Tough constraints forge strong talent, and it's no coincidence that many competitive young tech enthusiasts eventually found their way into game studios. The demoscene remains an active part of Finland's hacker community even today. Nokia's success into the 2010s also played a big role: even though its impact on the game industry was limited, its investment in R&D spilled over outside the company - and when Nokia faltered, many professionals moved into mobile gaming.

Housemarque's roots also lie deep in the demoscene, starting with the Bloodsuckers demo group, which went on to form the Bloodhouse studio. Eventually, the studio merged with Terramarque, resulting in the portmanteau name Housemarque.

The growth has occurred in phases over the decades. In the late 1990s, the studio became known for its snowboarding games, like the well-received Supreme Snowboarding. Brand director Mikael Haveri describes the progression: "We moved past the snowboarding era and then past the arcade era. Although in a way, we're still making arcade games!"

Indeed, well into the 2010s, Housemarque was known specifically for arcade games. Super Stardust, Resogun, and Nex Machina are action-packed titles that defined the studio for years. "If bullets are spinning in your eyes, it's a Housemarque game," jokes the studio's creative director Gregory Louden.

And the bullets are still flying: the award-winning Returnal, released in 2021, drew influence from many directions, but especially from the studio's arcade legacy. This narrative, bullet-hell-style third-person roguelike shooter is unmistakably a Housemarque title.

Over the decades, the studio has scaled to new levels. The most recent major change came in 2021 when Sony acquired the studio, likely locking Housemarque into developing larger AAA-scale releases permanently. This wasn't entirely unexpected, as the studio had long collaborated closely with Sony for its consoles. Housemarque appears to be the only studio with launch titles for four different Sony's platforms. Its projects also have other historic features: Super Stardust HD, released for the PlayStation 3, is considered the first game to include collectible Trophies.

Still, could something smaller fit into the development pipeline? CEO Ilari Kuittinen dismisses the idea: "We don't want to go back to making smaller games, and we don't have multiple creative directors to lead side projects."

Housemarque also isn't known for making sequels - there are no numbered entries in their release list. But could there be something in development that could be interpreted as a sequel to an earlier game? "At least it wouldn't be Golf: Tee It Up! 2," Haveri jokes.

Joining the Sony group brought many changes. The organisation has scaled to a new level. While about 80 people worked on Returnal, the upcoming Saros - in development for release in 2026 - has a team of 120. This demands changes in both processes and physical facilities.

We got to tour some of the newly opened spaces, including a playtesting area and a basement-built cinema. "These spaces are designed specifically for collaboration. We have lots of gathering areas, meeting rooms, even the café is designed to encourage 'collision moments'," Haveri explains.

With a larger team, workflows must support collaboration: "Things need to be synced. Work is organised in two-week sprints, and necessary information must flow through different forums," Haveri continues.

A larger corporate backing allows for more ambitious projects - but also comes with its own requirements, such as stricter security protocols and HR processes. One benefit is certain: there's no longer a need to constantly sell projects. "We pitch once every few years, internally. We used to be on the road several times a year at expos selling our games," Haveri reflects on the change.

Now the focus is entirely on developing the new game, Saros, set for release in 2026. The company can't share much else yet. One can only draw their own conclusions from the announcement trailer. At least the character's eyes sparkle with bullet hell-style orbs, clearly hinting at Returnal-like combat.

But will Saros and future titles be as punishingly hard as Returnal? "Saros' slogan 'Come Back Stronger' might be one of the things that points to a certain kind of power fantasy. Selene was a character with no resources in a very tough environment. It was also a very difficult game because Selene's experience was difficult. I think that's something we are considering," Haveri muses.

The competition in the market is fierce. How does Housemarque stand out from other developers? "A certain kind of mystery, a unique, open-to-interpretation narrative experience has come along with Returnal as something new," Haveri says.

Indeed, Returnal can be completed as a pure action shooter, where Selene lands on a planet and shoots her way to the end. But players can also dive deep into the story of the world, uncovering deeper layers of lore - extensively analysed on fan forums.

"On the other hand, technical expertise and visual effects are rewarding when executed well," Kuittinen adds. That kind of expertise is part of the long legacy inherited from the studio's demoscene roots.

Housemarque has come a long way since the 1990s, and the path hasn't always been straight. There have been tough moments and cash flow deficits. "We haven't been profitable every year, but at least we've been facilitating people to do cool sh#t for 30 years," Kuittinen quips.