Earlier this year, in August, Supercell extended an invitation to studios from emerging markets in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania to attend Games First 2024. Maliyo Games was honoured to be selected as one of the representatives from the global south.

“We’re pleased to announce that after reviewing more than 100 applications, we have selected 10 highly talented studios to join us at Games First in Helsinki. We want to thank everyone who applied; the quality of submissions was inspiring, and we look forward to staying in touch. For now, please meet Kayfo Game Studio, Leti Arts, Maliyo Games, Onki Games, Petit Fabrik, Posibillian Tech, StudioBando, SuperGaming, Usiku Games and Whiteboard Games!”

Join me, Dorothy Orina,  as I take you behind the scenes of my incredible journey to Games First 2024.

The best teams make the best games

Red. Fierce. Clash of Clans. A game that demands strategy, resource management, and a strong sense of community. It’s a testament to the power of great teams. Supercell is a kind of clan in itself!

At Supercell, the idea of a strong team is taken to a new level. It’s not just about individual talent; it’s about how well people work together. A winning team, as they say, isn’t made up of the best players, but those who work best together.

We spent a day immersed in the workings of various Supercell teams, from Monetization to LiveOps to Marketing and Regional Pricing. What struck me most was the high degree of autonomy and ownership that each team showcased which was as surprising as it was impressive to see play out. Each team has the power to decide on their projects, features, and when necessary, to kill a game.

Supercell’s commitment to fostering great teams is also evident in their investment strategy. They seek out teams with ambition, a collaborative mindset, and a shared vision. By providing mentorship and a supportive community, they empower these teams to grow and make great products.

Pink. Sassy! Cameras, lights, action.

When you’re speaking in a panel titled The Next Billion Players, you have to look like a billionaire.  If you’re wondering, that looks like a vibrant pink t-shirt, and a million little gemstones on denim pants. Think you can pull that off?

Games First, Supercell’s annual gathering of game developers, was a thrilling experience filled with inspiration and learning. I joined a stellar lineup of African game industry leaders: Hugo Obi from Maliyo Games (Nigeria), Eyram Tawia from Leti Arts (Ghana) and Denis Odera from Usiku Games (Kenya).

We delved into the African Games Industry Report, discussing the rapid growth of the industry, the increasing consumption of local content, and the blossoming game ecosystem. We highlighted initiatives like GameUp Africa and Africa Games Week, which are crucial in nurturing talent and fostering industry connections.

It was an honour to represent Africa on this global stage and share our insights with the  game community.

Meeting Supercell CEO

Yellow. Radiant. You can never go wrong with yellow. In fact, yellow is my favourite colour. On a day that is 1° celsius cold, you can be the sunshine. You can camouflage the gigantic characters adorning the corridors at Supercell. You can… take a picture with Illka Paananen in a yellow sweatshirt!

Thursday was a highlight. We had the privilege of meeting Illka Paananen, the visionary CEO of Supercell. But first things first, shoes off! Supercell has a unique “No shoes” office policy, where everyone entering the building leaves their shoes at the store and opts for slippers or socks within the office.

Illka shared his inspiring journey, from his early days as an entrepreneur to building Supercell into a game powerhouse. He emphasised the importance of strong teams and intentional learning. “A company is only as good as its teams,” he said. “To truly grow, you must be open to learning from others.” It was interesting to see how this mindset naturally trickled down to everyone at the company and made it a company culture.

A visit to Hive Helsinki and Next Games

Our next stop was Hive Helsinki, a coding school which prepares learners to launch their careers through collaborative project based learning. Students learn in a peer-to-peer environment, solving real-world coding challenges. It was fascinating to observe that the spirit of autonomy, so central to Supercell’s success, was being nurtured within the next generation of developers.

Continuing our exploration of the Finnish game landscape, we visited Next Games, a Netflix Game Studio. We met with Saara Bergstrom, the Managing Director, who delved into the studio’s history and impressive growth. Saara highlighted a key element of Next Games’ culture: they don’t seek a “culture fit” in new hires, but rather value the unique contributions individuals bring to the team. With this forward thinking approach, they are able to explore and  embrace learning from different perspectives.

A Finnish Sauna

No trip to Helsinki is complete without a traditional sauna experience. We ventured to Loyly, a sauna by the Baltic Sea. The thrill here is to get fired up in the sauna, run into the freezing sea and back to the sauna. The experience was magical.

To wrap up our incredible week, we indulged in a karaoke session where we sang our hearts out. If you ask me, this was the perfect way to end an amazing trip.

One week, a multitude of colours and roughly 973 whoa’s later, I feel honoured and privileged for the  opportunity to learn from industry leaders at Supercell, share insights on the African game industry at Games First ‘24, and connect with talented developers from around the world. I’m eager to apply these learnings to further develop the African game ecosystem and empower the next generation of game creators.