Pelaaja – The Challenger

Founded in 2002 and led by Thomas Puha and Miika Huttunen, Pelaaja emerged as a challenger to established Finnish gaming publications and quickly built a dedicated readership. Over the years, the magazine became an important part of Finnish gaming culture through its reviews, interviews, travel features, special editions, and spin-off publications. The print edition continued until 2025, when it was merged with Pelit magazine. Although the print magazine ended, the Pelaaja name continues through a gaming-focused website.

The exhibition traces the magazine’s journey from its rapid rise to success to its eventual closure, through interviews with people involved in its production and a collection of loaned artefacts. It also highlights the evolution of Finnish games journalism during the 2000s.

The exhibition is curated by veteran games journalist Jukka O. Kauppinen.