Path to Cultural Victory

Greetings from Housemarque,

Here in Helsinki we are living very exciting times and getting adjusted to being more involved with the public again and talking shop about the new directions we are headed in. While the internal developments have been a welcome challenge, we have upped our personnel count to 79 and added new expertise areas as well.

With the growth we are now indeed bigger than ever and that also means that internally things need updating as well. Going through our core values and reflecting on what we want to focus on going forward has been a big part of this transformation. “Game is King” or the focus on second to second gameplay is still at the core of what we do. It’s clear that the arcade values are and will be essential to the types of games we want to make, so no worries there.

As our organization expands, internal values also reflect on the well-being of the people making the magic happen. Together we have come up with values and beliefs that we all want to reflect and improve on going forward. To mention a few off the top, we want to work with talent. Creating some of the better received arcade titles of the last decade is a goal that we hope to continue with in our upcoming titles as well. So, pushing the envelope and striving for perfection is something we want to surround ourselves with.

Another key indicator is the way we can balance our work and free time. Finding and allowing for a healthy and sustainable mix that keeps our creativity active and our performance at top tier. This requires downtime and clear boundaries at times. The Nordic countries in general have a decent track record considering mandatory holidays and overtime, but we have made it our mission to make sure that developing employee well-being is one of our top priorities.

And maybe most importantly, as we grow we aim to attract the best talent globally, adding to our already broad 15 nationalities. Being a development studio that not only fits the needs of all, but also strives to improve the ongoing inclusion of all talent across the board. In the end, the main creed that binds all at Housemarque is a passion for games as an interactive artform. All our differences can be celebrated, and all of our games are made by diverse teams.

So, as we prepare for the next big things, we hope to share more insights into how our 25-year-old company is growing into what we intend it to be for the next years to come.

Sincerely,

Mikael Haveri