About us

Small studio.
Big love for pixels.

We are a Finnish mini-game studio in Kamppi, Helsinki. We make games that take five seconds to explain and are played on the “just one more round” principle. And we test them so thoroughly that the name “judge” stuck.

Our story

RetroJudge started on Friday evenings. A few coders, an artist and some game enthusiasts gathered around the same table after work, and the rules were simple: in two hours, make a game whose idea you get in five seconds and that makes the others laugh.

At the end of the evening the prototypes were played and judged. One side of a cardboard sign said APPROVED, the other REJECTED. The judge role rotated, but one principle stayed: if a game does not work on the first try, it is not ready. That later became the studio’s name — RetroJudge.

We grew up with 8-bit games, cassette tapes and the demoscene, and it still shows. We love pixel art, beeping sound effects and games that start instantly. The difference is that today our games run in the browser, on phones and on expo booth screens.

Crane Tower was born at the office window: in Helsinki, cranes are part of the skyline. Finland, however, hardly has any earthquakes — so we decided to build one ourselves.

Games are more than work to us. They make people stop for a moment, smile and try one more time. When a game works, you can see it on the player’s face — and that is the moment we do this for.

— The RetroJudge team

Why we do this

01

The five-second rule

If the idea of a game does not click in five seconds, we go back to the drawing board. A good mini-game needs no manual.

02

Laughter is the metric

We test every idea with one question: does the player smile? If not, the game does not move forward.

03

We break it first

Slow phones, old browsers, impatient players — we find the bugs before your customers do.

04

Direct line to the makers

No middlemen and no sales pitches. You talk directly to the people who build your game.

The team

We are a small team where everyone wears several hats. Here is how the work is split:

Mika Korhonen

Contact person & client projects

Mika handles client work: listening to your idea, agreeing on the schedule and making sure the game is delivered as promised. All project requests go straight to Mika.

[email protected]

Game design

Invents mechanics and balances points and difficulty. Responsible for that “just one more round” feeling.

Programming

Physics, browser tech and performance. The game has to run smoothly on an old phone too.

Pixel art & sound

Retro graphics and beeps: a recognisable style that also bends to the client’s brand.

The Judge (QA)

Breaks every game before release. The role rotates within the team, and nobody gets off easy.

Office

We work at VillageWorks Sähkötalo in Kamppi, right in the centre of Helsinki. Come and visit — there is always a playable prototype. Please arrange your visit in advance.

RetroJudge
VillageWorks Sähkötalo
Kampinkuja 2
00100 Helsinki
Finland

Contact person: Mika Korhonen
[email protected]
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Got an idea for a game?

Tell us about it. We reply within one business day and suggest what the game could look like.

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