Real Startup, Real Students – Epic Scape Opens Doors Through TET Program

Four ninth-grade students joined Epic Scape through Maria 01's Startup TET program (Työelämään Tutustuminen – Introduction to Working Life), organized by the Children and Youth Foundation and TET.fi.

The goal? Give them a realistic view of what it's like to work in a small game startup – no glossy presentations, just hands-on tasks and honest insight into the process.

Each student got a real role: testing the game, documenting the session as a photographer, and providing feedback. They captured the testing environment through their own eyes – unfiltered images that reflect how they experienced the day.

""We didn't want to just talk about startups. We wanted them to participate,"" says Jyri Puhakka, founder of Epic Scape. ""The authentic images they took show their engagement and the practical nature of the work.""

The students tested game mechanics, identified bugs, and discussed what worked and what didn't. It wasn't about giving them a perfect experience – it was about showing them the reality of building something from scratch.

For Epic Scape, programs like TET are a chance to share what early-stage entrepreneurship actually looks like: iterative, experimental, and often unpredictable.

And for the students? A chance to step out of the classroom and into a real working environment – one where their input mattered.