Saami Game Jam

Saami Game Jam is the name for the series of a rapid-paced game developing events where game developers, Saami and non-Saami, come together to create games as teams. Game creation is inspired by themes given on the spot.

The Saami (also spelled Sámi or Sami) are the Indigenous people of Sápmi, the region spanning northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula. Saami communities are wonderfully diverse across languages, traditions, and lifestyles. While many remain rooted in Sápmi, Saami people also live across the globe. Saami Game Jams are organized with and for Saami people, supporting Saami play and ways to imagine Indigenous Futurisms through unique cultural perspectives.

Past Game Jams

Siida Game Jam 3.-5.9.2026

Skins Workshops series 2023

Saami Game Jam 21.-25.2.2018

Game Jams we've co-organized

Fair Play Jam 4.-6.10.2024

Media

Here are some media pieces from around the world reporting on our game design journey!

Academic Publications

Our work have also inspired researchers!

Laiti, O.K. (2025). DIGITAL NATIVES? SAAMI GAMES NOW! Exhibition Highlights Indigenous Voices in Game Development. In Kantonen, L., Guttorm, H., Kantonen, P., & Falin, P. (2025). Parallel indigeneities, art worlds and frictions. RUUKKU: Studies in Artistic Research, 22.

Nijdam, E. “Biz.” (2023). Recentering Indigenous Epistemologies Through Digital Games: Sámi Perspectives on Nature in Rievssat (2018). Games and Culture, 18(1), 27–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120211068086

LaPensée, E. A., Laiti, O., & Longboat, M. (2022). Towards Sovereign Games. Games and Culture, 17(3), 328-343.

Nijdam E. (2022). Recentering Indigenous Epistemologies Through Digital Games: Sámi Perspectives on Nature in Rievssat (2018). Games and Culture. 10.1177/15554120211068086. 18:1. (27-41). Online publication date: 1-Jan-2023.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15554120211068086

Laiti, O. (2021). Old ways of knowing, new ways of playing—the potential of collaborative game design to empower Indigenous Sámi. Doctoral dissertation. University of Lapland. Rovaniemi, Finland. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-337-249-8

Laiti, O., Harrer, S., Uusiautti, S., & Kultima, A. (2021). Sustaining intangible heritage through video game storytelling-the case of the Sami Game Jam. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 27(3), 296-311.

Kultima, A., & Laiti, O. (2019, August). Sami Game Jam-Learning, Exploring, Reflecting and Sharing Indigenous Culture through Game Jamming. In DiGRA Conference.