“Not fully there” but the games industry is steadily improving for women

• One of the shortlisted winners of Pocket Gamer Connects’ Aurora awards, Tarja Porkka-Kontturi shares her motivations, inspirations and reasons for speaking up about change in the game sector.

Inspiring women are everywhere, and the game sector is no exception. In celebration of those paving new business paths for girls, women and non-binary people in the games industry, we recently introduced Aurora. 

As part of Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki, we highlighted the women shortlisted for the Aurora awards - based on nominations received by the industry itself - live on stage, giving recognition, visibility and honour to the vanguards impacting the Nordic games industry.

Following the event, we caught up with some of them to gain deeper insight into their work and visions. First out is Tarja Porkka-Kontturi, the director of community engagement at Global Game Jam.

PocketGamer.biz: In your work role, how do you promote a better environment for women and non-binary people in the games industry?

Porkka-Kontturi: Where and when it’s needed, I actively speak up about the challenges we face on a daily basis and how to solve them, and people know they can always reach out to me for support or just a chat. But mostly, I simply *exist* and work like anyone else; showing by example that women and non-binary people belong here. We’re not an exception or something weird and new, we’ve helped shape this industry, and we’re not going anywhere.

We’re all just people - all industry professionals - and we should treat one another with kindness, respect and empathy. I try to lead by example and take the time to educate others on what it really means to create a welcoming, inclusive environment for everyone.

What inspired you to pursue a career in games?

I’ve always loved games and play in all their forms. My original career was in carpentry and cabinet making, but after having a stroke and getting a pacemaker before the age of 26, I had to reimagine my future and change plans. For a long time, I was on disability pension, but thanks to technology and remote work, I was able to rebuild (or rather reorganise) my skills and turn my passion hobby into a career.

Games have incredible power: to entertain, comfort, educate, bring people together, and even heal, both physically and mentally. Accessibility is deeply important to me, and it’s actually what drew me in even more strongly. 

I want as many people as possible to be able to play and enjoy games. That’s why I love my work as a consultant with Good Trouble’s AbleToPlay.com platform and its B2B side that supports studios and publishers, as director of community engagement for the diverse, global Global Game Jam community, and with all the studios and projects I’ve had the privilege to work with.

In terms of gender equality, how has the industry evolved over the last five years?

We’re not fully “there” yet, but it has improved. The conversations are louder, the awareness is wider and deeper, and more people are genuinely committed to change. Of course, there’s still resistance - those who throw around terms like “DEI hire” or “woke agenda” - but the important thing is that progress continues regardless.

We keep working, we keep showing up, and we keep proving that equality strengthens the entire industry. There are far more people on the side of inclusion than against it, and that gives me hope. Let’s keep supporting that momentum.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to women entering the games industry today?

Do it! Don’t overthink whether you “fit in” or if you “should”; if it’s your passion or something you're interested in, go for it.

Making games, publishing, community, accessibility, business… there’s space for you here. It’s just work like any other, but it’s also a creative, exciting, and very collaborative field where you’ll find amazing people. You’re not alone, and you do belong here.

What projects or achievements are you most proud of, and how do they reflect your vision for the industry?

There are so many moments I feel deeply proud of. The work we’ve done through We in Games Finland has been wonderful: all the collaborations and shared purpose. The Global Game Jam community is incredibly close to my heart; seeing people from every background and identity come together to create and connect is endlessly inspiring.

And then there’s Good Trouble’s AbleToPlay.com platform that's helping players find accessible games and supporting studios and publishers to strengthen their accessibility practices. That’s meaningful, lasting work.

Ultimately, everything I do comes down to one simple goal: I want people to feel that they belong - because they do. And I want everyone to be able to enjoy games, whether that means creating them or playing them.