Around the summer of 2024 I had yet another idea (amongst the many other ideas), this time to start a game con around the Baltic Sea. Finland, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Germany, etc. all have wargamers and it would be really cool to have a rotating game meeting in various countries. I had never done anything like this before and frankly, I was not well-connected with gamers, designers, retailers, or publishers in the industry. In any case, in September 2024 we had the first Baltic Wargaming Convention at a public library in Espoo, Finland. It was a zero budget effort on my behalf.
Perhaps 30 people attended, not great but not bad either! The greatest thing was to meet other gamers, and the Three Crowns Games guys, Stefan & Jan, had come all the way from Sweden to attend! My Polish team had to cancel due to a personal emergency, but we’ll try another time.
The 2024 event was described in our Finnish blog Huoltoreitti (“Supply Route”). Use the browser’s translate feature to get it in your preferred language. We were also planning a follow-up event in 2025, but things didn’t work out this time.
I was pondering my options and didn’t fancy another low-key event. It’s gotta be good, especially after visiting the Swedish Friendly Fire twice in 2025. I knew that to enjoy this most, it has to be something different and unique. I have written about my experience in Sweden: FF XVI in February and FF XVII in October (you’ll have to translate the second one, too).
Image by Michal Pise.
Sveaborg – The Gibraltar of the Baltic
What would be the coolest place to play wargames in Finland? Sveaborg, Suomenlinna! That one gem that makes Helsinki to compete with places like Stockholm or St. Petersburg. Finland has always been the backwater of the Swedish empire, so this is not the Old Town / Gamla Stan of Stockholm (if you know what I mean). But we have the greatest fortress in all of Baltic Sea 🙂
Now all other options were off the table. I started to check out what we have available at Sveaborg and quickly realized there are no free meals. For a weekend event, everything is four-digit euros. The available spaces are really cool, though – you could, for example, rent a former powder magazine, but I ruled that out because it is a bit of a walk to get to.
This is where Pajasali Hall comes to play. It is located a very short walk from the main pier where the Helsinki public transport ferry arrives. You have tables for more than 50 people and also a separate meeting room with a single large table – you can either play a big multiplayer game for several days or just have like 3-4 separate games going on. The only supermarket is also nearby, along with several cafes, etc. A Perfect Location.
In short: April 18 & 19 (Sat+Sun). Cool projects and their designers. A third day (Friday) will be added, if I can secure the funds.