Sweden is a little-known hub for game development, with many studios basing their offices there. Oftentimes, games from these studios fly under the radar with regard to where they are from, and you’ll be surprised how many well-known titles are Swedish-made.
Sweden deserves its long-overdue recognition as a European gaming hub. You may even find some defining features that come from its culture which you may not have noticed in these great games from Swedish studios.
Taking the gaming world by storm with its co-op-focused shooter gameplay and strong storytelling,Helldivers 2strongly shows its roots. Arrowhead Game Studios managed to blend together both chaos and world building into a serious, yet comedic setting. The Swedish have a love of satirical themes in all media forms and Helldivers 2 showcases this in its overly propaganda-infused narrative.
Swedish studios have always leaned on their cultural love for teamwork and that is very evident in both Helldivers' squad-based focus. The Helldivers 2’s main artwork even features both blue and yellow, the colors of Sweden’s flag, showing you its roots at first glance.
Little Nightmaresis an iconic horror game that encapsulates you inside the mind of a helpless child. Being alone in an unknown place is something we have all experienced as a child, and Little Nightmares takes this unparalleled fear and combines it with a wonderfully dreadful atmosphere and creepy monsters that are influenced by the developer’s own childhoods.
The series is evidently inspired by Tarsier Studios' Swedish roots with haunting stories reminiscent of the many fairy tales found in Norse mythology. Focused on exploring the themes of childhood fears, the creatures which haunt you are heavily inspired by Nordic folklore and popular Swedish fairy tales.
Featuring a globe-trotting open-world adventure set in 1937, Machine Games has managed to create detailed versions of every real-world location that you venture to. Within the puzzle-solving story, you will explore mysterious landmarks to solve the curiosities behind the Great Circle. Being most familiar with its Nordic background, yet still showing expertise in worldwide culture, Machine Games has created a wonderful title.
One of the most interesting inspirations from Swedish culture is found in the whip attacks in the game. Machine Games’consulted a Swedish Bull Whip Champion,which is how it made such realistic sounding and looking animations. This dedication and inspiration leaves that extra Scandinavian taste in a game that otherwise goes anywhere but there.
Platforming to the beat has never been as fun as it is inGeometry Dash. With a simple gameplay loop and catchy music that we would play at a club if given the chance, this easy-to-control yet hard-to-master platformer is one of the best. Geometry Dash has a mountain load of love poured into it by its creator, Robert Topla.
Using a combination of various Scandinavian design elements meshed perfectly with timeless gameplay, it’s easy to see why the game is so beloved. Robert Topla has put a high emphasis on community-driven content, implementing a ton of creator features as well to help players craft their own levels. This is something that is seen alot in Swedish games because of their creative-minded culture.
Hotline Miami, developed by Dennaton Games, will stand out forever as the kind of innovative indie title that we need more of. With how unique the wonderfully out-there graphics are brought alongside the heavy music so popular in Sweden, Hotline Miami is a standout game that is proud of its home.
The Swedish punk and underground music scenes heavily influenced Dennaton Games' aesthetic and form the main soundtrack. The game exudes a gritty, independent nature thanks to the many Swedish artists that worked on the soundtrack, giving it a Nordic touch.
Creating a survival-horror game that is simple enough for anyone to get hooked on is tough, yet Landfall managed to do it.Content Warninghas you taking on the job of an influencer with your friends, trying to get videos of horrific creatures in the Old World to go viral. With extra Swedish flair and charmingly straightforward gameplay, Landfall made a game that went viral itself.
The game takes inspiration from Swedish media and the country’s love for it. By integrating elements that reflect the media, Landfall has created a gameplay loop that we can all get the thrill of. The wonderful cooperative gameplay also leads into Landfall’s home, with cooperation being something Scandinavia does best.
Being named2021’s most awarded gameis no easy feat, but due to its creative design and an amazing co-op experience,It Takes Twodeserves that title. Hazelight Studios masterfully crafted an adventure that, despite a slow story, has wonderful design elements and an experience that’s fun for two.
It being developed in Sweden may come as a surprise, since the game features a British-like setting along with mostly British voice actors. However, upon looking into the world and its elements deeper, it shows inspiration from Scandinavian childhoods through things such as the various mini-games and the theme park level.
The beloved fantasy world ofWarhammerhas been brought to life once again in video game form with Fatshark at the helm. Bring up to four friends into this master-crafted fantasy world, and you will enjoy an intense first-person co-op shooter. With fantastic blood-soaked action, Fathshark has made a modern masterpiece that you won’t be able to put down.
While the game is set in the Warhammer universe, certain design and narrative elements subtly incorporate Swedish folklore and storytelling traditions, adding depth to the game’s atmosphere. The open communication and positive environment of the team at Fatshark has reflected thousands of workers' own experiences in fun cooperative gameplay.
The sea sailing sequel to the iconic strategy game, Steamworld Heist, was created by the team of passionate people at Thunderful Development.Steamworld Heist IIis a grand adventure with unique 2D tactical turn-based gameplay involving positioning your units and lining up the perfect shot in a satisfying loop driven by an engaging story.
The original Steamworld Heist was developed by the studio Image & Form, who would later be merged with other studios to form Thunderful Development, adding even more great Nordic minds to the development of the sequel and this shows in subtle influences. Thunderful Development is a team that pushes itself to master any genre to create engaging titles like no other.
TheBattlefieldseries takes great strides in presenting various conflicts alongside the effects and struggles of war in their detailed worlds and impactful stories. It is developed by DICE, a Swedish studio which has been a subsidiary of EA since 2006.
The third season of the gameeven took players to Sweden in-game.Featuring a new map in Lapland named Spearhead which has a ton of love put into it. It really shows how much the developers love their home and want you to experience it, even if it’s during a war.
