Team and history

Home Team Games is a Finnish small business based in Espoo.
Contact Information

Jussi Saarinen
Founder, Game Designer
Game Mechanics Engineer.
Passionate football romantic.
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Katja Saarinen
Co-Founder, Development Manager
In her day job, she is a sports director.
Tireless brainstorming sparring partner.

Emma
Director of Human Resources
A black Labrador Retriever who brings joy and energy to everyone around her. She is always ready to encourage and ensure that the atmosphere remains positive and supportive. Emma has a special talent for making everyone feel welcome and motivated, but she also remembers to regularly remind everyone of the importance of breaks and little naps. Emma loves treat rewards, and her favorite snacks include apples and meatballs.

 

History and Future

 

The Home Team Heroes game project started in 2022 after I spent years searching for a fun football-themed board or card game. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find one that truly engaged me, so the idea began to form: “What kind of game would I want to play with my friends?”

Through several prototypes and testing, the game slowly began to take shape. During the design process, the project also participated in the 12-week Startup Incubator program organized by Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in the fall of 2023, which culminated in a "Dragon's Den"-type event. Home Team Heroes was awarded the best pitch of the event.

The game was released for sale in Finland on January 1, 2024, but the story is just beginning. In the future, we will introduce new card series, new player card features, and for collectors, rare shiny foil-coated cards.

Beyond the new game, the real innovation is the ability to create any (at this stage domestic) team in the game, complete with images and logos—regardless of level, gender, or age. From leagues to lower divisions, youth teams, and amateur leagues. Traditionally, board or card games are made cost-effectively in large runs of identical copies, but customization in small production batches required new solutions. Thanks to fantastic partners and the latest technological developments, it has proven financially viable to implement, specifically in a way that the service is completely free for clubs and teams.

Our passion is to create new things and continuously evolve. Sales of the game’s generic starter packs will expand abroad in 2025. In the future, our goal is to enable international fundraising for teams and the participation of teams in Home Team Heroes. Wouldn't it be wonderful to open a booster pack of cards that features real players from all levels worldwide, while your team earns a share of the profits from the sale, just like all the other teams, whether the purchase happens in London or Lapland?

Best regards,

Jussi Saarinen
Founder
Home Team Games
+358 41 713 4542
info@hometeamheroes.fi

Home Team Heroes is a registered trademark.
BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/394865/home-team-heroes