Hill Climb Racing has been downloaded more than 2 billion times, according to Finnish game studio Fingersoft, based in Oulu. The company confirmed the milestone on 15 January 2026, underlining how a simple physics-based racing game first released in 2012 has continued to attract new players more than a decade later.
Record milestone for a Finnish mobile classic
The two-billion mark refers to the first Hill Climb Racing game, the original title that established Fingersoft’s best-known franchise. The studio says the game is still played by more than four million people every day worldwide.
Beyond the headline number, the company points to a broader pattern: the full Hill Climb Racing series has accumulated close to three billion downloads across different versions and platforms, with the franchise expanding through sequels and spin-offs.
How a 2012 physics racer became an evergreen game
Hill Climb Racing’s appeal has long rested on a minimal, accessible design: short races, simple controls, and a “try again” loop that rewards incremental improvements. Fingersoft’s CEO Teemu Närhi has framed the game’s longevity as a reminder that some mobile titles become evergreens, staying relevant for years—and sometimes for decades—because they are easy to pick up and hard to fully master.
That long tail is also part of a wider shift in the mobile market, where older titles can remain competitive thanks to regular updates, strong community habits, and the ability to run smoothly on a broad range of devices.
The franchise’s next phase: Hill Climb Racing 3 and LEGO tie-ins
Fingersoft has already built on the original’s success with Hill Climb Racing 2, and has recently tested Hill Climb Racing 3 in limited release formats. The next instalment is presented as a way to modernise the franchise while keeping its core mechanic intact.
At the same time, the studio has experimented with partnerships that broaden the brand’s reach. One of the best-known examples is LEGO Hill Climb Adventures, a version developed in collaboration with The LEGO Group, which combines the series’ physics-based gameplay with LEGO-themed worlds and characters.
Why Oulu matters in Finland’s game industry
Fingersoft’s roots in Oulu, a city better known internationally for its technology and research ecosystem than for entertainment, highlight how Finland’s game industry extends well beyond the Helsinki metropolitan area. In recent years, Finnish studios have built a reputation for producing globally distributed mobile hits, making games a significant part of the country’s digital exports.
For Oulu, the success of a homegrown studio also fits a broader Nordic pattern: regional tech hubs supporting international-facing companies, often with relatively small teams, and with products designed for a global audience from day one.
