Helsinki studio’s The Last Caretaker named Finnish game of the year

Helsinki-based studio Channel 37’s The Last Caretaker won the top prize at the Finnish Game Awards 2026 gala in Helsinki on Thursday, taking home the Game of the Year title, Yle reports.

The dystopian survival game, in which players control a robot tasked with preserving humanity after an apocalypse, edged out My Winter Car by Amistech Games for the award. Sektori, developed by Kimmo Lahti, placed third.

Founded in 2021 by industry veterans—including Antti Ilvessuo and Sami Saarinen, co-founders of the Trials series studio Red Lynx—Channel 37 released The Last Caretaker as its debut title. Despite still being in early access, the game has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and generated nearly €7 million in gross revenue within its first two months. Critics have praised its technical execution and atmospheric design.

Other winners included KooKoon Games for Best Debut, Valtteri Lahti as Industry Influencer of the Year, and Sektori for Creative Achievement. A new category, Best Additional Content, was introduced this year, reflecting the industry’s shift toward long-term game services; the award went to Cities: Skylines II by Tampere-based Colossal Order.

Neogames Finland, the national game industry association, also presented its inaugural Business Excellence Award to Supercell’s Clash Royale. Preliminary estimates from Neogames suggest the Finnish games sector grew its total revenue in 2025 despite global market challenges.

The awards, selected by a vote among members of the Finnish Game Developers Association, were held at Helsinki’s Valkoinen Sali.