Bit1 Competition

From preliminaries

We at Bit1 are searching for the best Finnish game made by a dev team of students.

During spring, teams of young game developers are invited to join the competition. First they compete in the local events PreBits, held around Finland. The top two teams from each PreBit will continue to the final. Teams can also attend remotely, in case of long-distance to the preliminary cities.

Remote participation in the PreBits negotiable – thus please contact the organizers.

To the Bit1 final

These teams chosen at the preliminaries to continue to the national final, the Bit1, will receive mentoring from pros to develop their game before the final. Bit1 final is usually held in mid-May each year.

The winners will be selected by the top professionals of the game industry. The winning team will be able to meet industry representatives and present their skills in an exclusive event that can help them land a job or an internship.

Competing teams will receive feedback on their games from the jury.

How to set up a PreBit?

We encourage schools / universities / student organizations around Finland to take part and organize a preliminary event in yout city. It’s all quite easy – no need to panic!

Just follow these few simple steps:

Step 1 – Sign up using this form and let the organizers know that you are interested in organizing a PreBit in your city.

Step 2 – Find a location that can easily fit several student teams who would love to participate. The only criteria for the venue is that it is large enough for the teams to present and pitch their games to the judging panel. Ideally there would be also some room left for potential audience aswell.

Step 3 – Communication! Spread the word far and wide that there will be a PreBit in your city! Use social media and any(all) local networks. (We will provide you with materials for this.)

Step 4 – Have all potential teams sign up using a form that will be provided once the application period in 2025 is open.

Step 5 – Find judges! Get your hands on 3-4 gaming industry professionals for the judging panel. It would be amazing if you were able to get judges from your local game companies.

Application process for the teams:

Please first read the competition rules to make sure your team is eligible. Then sign up your team via a link that will appear here in 2025 – once the application period is again open.

To submit your application you need following material:

Here you find Game Design Canvas pdf, that contains guide for how to fill it. You can edit game canvas right there and then save your edited version of that pdf on your computer. Then add it to your application.

Video of your core loop should be 1 minute long and locate somewhere where we can download it. Leave link to that in the application form. This can be updated to newer version by contacting organizer.

The games approved to compete can be on any platform, either single or multiplayer. In most cases, during the PreBits or the Bit1 Finals, the organizer will guarantee equipment for PC games on the spot, but unfortunately not for mobile and VR-games. (Always check!) Teams must bring their own equipment for these types of games.

If your game is selected to the finals, there is always a few weeks of time to develop the game further. We do not expected that everything is looking polished when you apply, but the core loop has to be playable. The focus is on the game concept, design ideas and your business plan.

The organizers of each PreBit have the right to limit the number of competitors in PreBits in case there are many applicants.