Were you young when computers and console games came to Finland? Do you remember those first driving, shooting, and sports games whose graphics did not relate to reality yet? We lived before the internet, the time of console games, and the first computers bought at home. Back then, you had to buy the games in the store and then download the games to your computer to play.
Everything started to change at the end of the 90s, and as we moved into the new millennium, it was time to move to the beautiful world of the internet. It came gradually, and today, we play at home, at work, on the bus, and on the train – because we are also available for games on mobile because the 2010s brought a new dimension to our everyday life – mobile applications. Before that, the phone had become a mobile phone, a cell phone, and through text messages and wap messages, a photography camera, and a gaming machine were taken away by a mat game. Today, a smartphone can be the most critical thing and object in life for many.
What is played the most?
First, the media constantly report how many gambling games are played in Finland. In 2014, Finns played more than 400 euros per person, and in light of current statistics, Finns play the fourth most gambling games in the world – relatively per person. Partly this number comes from the fact that there are few of us, and our standard of living is high, so we have more to play than, for example, the Chinese coming from the growth direction of the gaming industry.
Statistics Finland says that we Finns have quadrupled our playing of digital games in the 21st century. The most active players are boys aged 10-14, but the most significant increase in gaming is over 44 years old. The most played are computer games that can be played alone, such as solitaire, but recently the number of mobile games, in particular, has increased. They have already overtaken computer games played daily.
In 2019, the most popular games followed international trends, i.e., the world’s most downloaded game, Candy Crush Saga, is also popular in Finland, even though the game is already approaching ten years old. Computer games, e.g., Resident Evil 2, Tom Clancy, and Apex Legends, beat themselves up, not forgetting eSports genre games like PUPG and Fortnite.
eSports on the rise
Especially eSports games attract players from all age groups. Playing is goal-oriented and social, as the teams find their shape and the best reach the international level to compete like the Finnish ENCE. ENCE is also one of the first Finnish eSports teams to reach the TOP10 level internationally, but also in Finland to receive widespread attention, including TV programs. Other Finnish teams have also gone to international circles to play. Still, the fact is that even in this field, only teams that have a professional approach to playing and training together can succeed.
What to play for yourself?
So what would you start playing yourself? You should start thinking from the very beginning, i.e., are you looking for a game that develops play after play or a game that you can create and stop at any time and which you don’t necessarily even have to learn because it’s so easy? For example, online gambling games are all 100% games of chance and luck, meaning that skill has nothing to do with them.
Only if you play poker against other players, it’s good to know the basic rules and tactics to know what to do at any point. But slot machines online, like in kiosks and shops, are entirely random and require only luck to win – and they’re easy to learn and play. On the other hand, eSports games, for example, usually require many, many playthroughs, preferably with the same game buddies, for development to take place.
Besides, the games installed on the computer, whether strategy, shooting, or driving, require learning and practice. In mobile games, on the other hand, knowledge is often not needed quite so much, but playing is quickly learned, and there are many different factors in playing that invite the player to play again and again – even for free. The best places to play can be found as a result of your experimentation and searching, and if you can find some game listings online, you can use them to find your favorites quickly.
Paid or free
Even the fact that you can’t get any good games for free is no longer valid. Almost all mobile games are first free, and only then, while playing, can you start paying various micropayments to get additional features in fun. Even online casino games can be played with play money to pass the time.