12 mobile indie games we saw in Helsinki that you've got to check out
- The Very Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Helsinki saw a handful of different genres and games
- Many of them are still in development, with some out now
- Lots of interesting developers behind the projects
Pocket Gamer Helsinki is in full swing, and as a part of this massive event, we ran another Very Big Indie Pitch, with tons of developers taking part and pitching their games to our judges. Developers from all over the world came to Helsinki to listen to talks, network, and check out a bunch of different fringe events.
For those of you who aren't aware, The Very Big Indie Pitch Mobile is a speed-dating style pitching competition where developers have five minutes at a table of experts, pitching their game, and then moving on to the next table for another five minutes. It's fast, intense, and a great way to meet a bunch of experts and work on your pitches in real time.
As mentioned, developers from a variety of different countries attended the pitch this time. The games covered several genres, with a slight pull towards roguelike and deck-builders. It's neat to see where the gaming space is each and every year that we do this event! Some were in a very early state where whereas others were actually released and were looking for something a little more. We are going to go through each entrant from the Very Big indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki, 2025, so that you can experience them all!
Want to take part yourself? Check out the Big Indie Pitch website for a list of all the upcoming pitches, and find out how you can get your game in front of our panel of judges.
Dice of Kalma by Pepperbox Studios
Dice of Kalma is a deckbuilding roguelike where you play dice against Kalma, the grim guardian of the underworld. You are looking to build a deck of powerful skulls and turn the dice to your favour to escape back to the world of the living. Your deck comes in the form of various skulls, used to change around your score and dice. Choosing to roll or re-roll is the real challenge, as often there are high risks and high rewards, but it can all come crashing down.
Dice of Kalma is set to release towards the end of this year on iOS, Android and PC.
Icecube by Sleetfleet
Icecube is a handcrafted 2D platformer where a young ice hero journeys across a melting Arctic to restore the shattered Heart of Ice. It aims to be a story-rich experience across its 52 levels, bringing emotional depth and purpose, as there is an arcing message about global warming.
Icecube is set to release towards the end of 2026, on iOS, Android, Switch and PlayStation.
Majestic Farmstay by Add Inspiration
Majestic Farmstay is a clash of genres, mixing idle with merge-2, to create a casual mobile game with a theme-driven telenovela narrative. Along with following the story, you can decorate your farm and take care of your own animals, creating a full farming experience.
Majestic Farmstay is out now.
Virtual Twilight - The World Without End by Antti Martikainen
Virtual Twilight is a next-generation narrative RPG where NPCs are not static background characters but instead are persistent, evolving companions with their own memories, emotions and lives. You play as a Planewalker, looking to travel across endless interconnected worlds - gothic vampire manors, neon cyber-grids, and much, much more.
Virtual Twilight is set to release at the start of February 2026.
Idle City Builder by Playnest
Idle City Builder is a fun, casual mobile city-building game where you shape a world made out of blocks, to harvest and refine resources, which are then used to create various buildings. You can slowly increase your level and playable area, discovering new resources and uncovering more buildings. Once your city grows, you will meet visitors who come to trade with you and unlock different features that mix things up.
HORTENSIAS by Paperclip
HORTENSIAS is a game that centres around real conversations between the developer, their mother and their grandmother, reflecting on the memories of their great-grandmother who passed away. It has a non-linear story strung together through a series of upbeat, melancholic mini-games and comic strips that let you play through their memories.
HORTENSIAS is slated to launch in June 2026.
Neverance by Gangster Pukeko Games
Neverance is a mobile, 2D RPG where there is a casual loop to allow a play-on-the-go experience. It is still in early stages, but we are looking forward to what they come up with.
Neverance is aimed to launch in 2026.
Just One Man by Raikiri
Just One Man is a VR hack-and-slash where you are an OVERPOWERED VILLAIN. You can punch and smash your way through loads of enemies, with a variety of weapons, combo attacks, and even overpowered abilities.
Just One Man is coming out in Early Access in 2026.
Against All Skies by Resonarc
Against All Skies is a party-based deckbuilder with roguelite storytelling elements, where you will navigate the sky islands with your party, taking on enemies and fighting your way to new lands. Each character has their own deck, which is used for their specific turn, but you can also advance or delay a character to achieve a resonance turn. This gives the character more tactical variety and activates enhanced abilities, bringing more interesting aspects to this genre.
Against All Skies aims to be out in September of 2027 on iOS, Nintendo Switch and PC.
TREAT by FPR
Treat is a narrative-driven adventure that takes inspiration from Fran Bow, featuring a hand-drawn art style and a story that blends the eerie whimsy of Coraline and Alice in Wonderland, with the haunting wonder of Tim Burton.
TREAT aims to release in late 2026, on iOS, Android, Switch, Xbox and PlayStation.
GamingCouch.com
Gaming Couch is an accessible, web-based couch co-op party game platform for 1 to 8 players, where everyone can join using a QR code on one phone. This allows players to dive into a collection of fun, social and competitive mini-games with their friends and family.
GamingCouch.com doesn't have a current solid release date.
Ludaro by EvolX Games
Ludaro is a rougelike deck-building dice game that takes a new look at Ludo! You will need to make your moves, manipulate deterministic dice rolls, and unleash powerful Spirit Cards to beat the score. Over time, you can upgrade tiles, collect quirky pets, and stack wild combos as you battle in epic boss fights with game-changing modifiers.
Ludaro is aimed to launch in December 2025, on iOS, Android, and PC.
