10 of the coolest Swedish games developers to work for
Ever dream of following in the footsteps of other internationals by moving to Sweden to work in its burgeoning games industry? The Local looks at 10 of Sweden's coolest games companies of recent years to help point you in the right direction...
MachineGames
Based in university city Uppsala, in 2014 MachineGames took on the challenge of developing new chapters in the Wolfenstein series, a franchise that has been loved by gamers since the original was released way back in 1981 but was struggling following a distinctly average reboot attempt in 2009.
The Swedish developer has managed to revive the series and consistently push it forward, with the most-recent chapter, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, the most critically acclaimed of the bunch.
DICE
There's no denying that Star Wars Battlefront II took a battering from critics following its disappointing 2017 release, but that blip on the radar aside, recent smash hits like Battlefield 1 and Mirror's Edge Catalyst mean Stockholm developer EA DICE remains a place most would give an arm and a leg to work at.
With the next installment of the Battlefield series due in 2018, there will be no shortage of hype building around developments at their Södermalm office in the coming months.
FOR MEMBERS: How to land a dream job at a Swedish tech startup
Thunderful
Formed in December 2017 through a merger of two studios to create a Gothenburg gaming powerhouse, Thunderful brings the experience of the Steamworld series through its developer Image & Form (whose latest title SteamWorld Dig 2 was a critical hit) and partner studio Zoink, the brains behind impressive indie adventure Fe.
The west coast veterans will move into a new office in 2018 and turn to combining their powers to develop a new title.
Experiment 101
The hype over new Swedish studio Experiment 101's forthcoming title BioMutant is massive after it was named one of Metacritic’s most anticipated PS4 games of 2018. THQ have bought into the excitement too, purchasing the indie developer in November 2017, suggesting they expect big things.
Starbreeze Studios
Stockholm studio Starbreeze is responsible for perhaps one of the saddest games of all time in the form of award-winning title Brothers: A tale of two sons, developed in cooperation with Swedish film director Josef Fares.
The company is no one-trick pony either. As a publisher, Starbreeze has also seen big success thanks to Dead by Daylight selling more than three million copies since its initial release in 2016.
Mojang
Regardless of whether you're a fan, it is difficult to argue against Minecraft being the most important Swedish game of all time, and the sandbox adventure's continued success more than seven years and hundreds of millions of sales since its release shows that Mojang continues to be relevant.
READ ALSO: 10 of the best Swedish games everyone should try
Hazelight Studios
Founded by Josef Fares following the aforementioned success of Brothers, with A Way Out, Hazelight Studios has lived up to the heady standards set by Fares' previous game while at the same time moving in a different direction through the decision to make the title co-op only.
Critically lauded for its immersive two-player gameplay, A Way Out has also been a commercial success for the fledgling studio, selling more than one million copies since its March release. Everyone is keen to find out what the film director turned developer is working on next, though he hasn't given away too many details yet.
Stunlock Studios
Based in Skövde in southern Sweden, Stunlock has been around since 2010 but it's 2017 multiplayer Battlerite that's their most exciting work to date, earning praise for its focus on skill and an addictive fast pace.
The Swedish company has just launched a professional league for players of the game to help satisfy the demands of its growing community.
READ ALSO: Inside the office of a Stockholm VR games developer
Coldwood Interactive
Umeå's Coldwood Interactive wowed gamers with the release of unique platformer Unravel in multiple formats in 2016, being rated as the best new title for PC by Metacritic and stunning with its unique visuals and sound.
Fans are now waiting with bated breath for more information on the sequel, with details still scarce.
Avalanche Studios
Known for the hugely popular Just Cause series that has spawned three titles and a movie project since launching in 2006, Stockholm's Avalanche has been focusing on a hunting simulator in recent years but it's the recent revelation that their next project will be another open-world action game that has really thrilled gamers.
An intriguing detail is that the new project will make use of the real-life faces of 12 people, who can apply to have their likeness immortalized in the game.
Kick off your gaming career in Sweden with these jobs recruiting now, or browse thousands of English language jobs in Sweden here.
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See Also
MachineGames
Based in university city Uppsala, in 2014 MachineGames took on the challenge of developing new chapters in the Wolfenstein series, a franchise that has been loved by gamers since the original was released way back in 1981 but was struggling following a distinctly average reboot attempt in 2009.
The Swedish developer has managed to revive the series and consistently push it forward, with the most-recent chapter, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, the most critically acclaimed of the bunch.
DICE
There's no denying that Star Wars Battlefront II took a battering from critics following its disappointing 2017 release, but that blip on the radar aside, recent smash hits like Battlefield 1 and Mirror's Edge Catalyst mean Stockholm developer EA DICE remains a place most would give an arm and a leg to work at.
With the next installment of the Battlefield series due in 2018, there will be no shortage of hype building around developments at their Södermalm office in the coming months.
FOR MEMBERS: How to land a dream job at a Swedish tech startup
Thunderful
Formed in December 2017 through a merger of two studios to create a Gothenburg gaming powerhouse, Thunderful brings the experience of the Steamworld series through its developer Image & Form (whose latest title SteamWorld Dig 2 was a critical hit) and partner studio Zoink, the brains behind impressive indie adventure Fe.
The west coast veterans will move into a new office in 2018 and turn to combining their powers to develop a new title.
Experiment 101
The hype over new Swedish studio Experiment 101's forthcoming title BioMutant is massive after it was named one of Metacritic’s most anticipated PS4 games of 2018. THQ have bought into the excitement too, purchasing the indie developer in November 2017, suggesting they expect big things.
Starbreeze Studios
Stockholm studio Starbreeze is responsible for perhaps one of the saddest games of all time in the form of award-winning title Brothers: A tale of two sons, developed in cooperation with Swedish film director Josef Fares.
The company is no one-trick pony either. As a publisher, Starbreeze has also seen big success thanks to Dead by Daylight selling more than three million copies since its initial release in 2016.
Mojang
Regardless of whether you're a fan, it is difficult to argue against Minecraft being the most important Swedish game of all time, and the sandbox adventure's continued success more than seven years and hundreds of millions of sales since its release shows that Mojang continues to be relevant.
READ ALSO: 10 of the best Swedish games everyone should try
Hazelight Studios
Founded by Josef Fares following the aforementioned success of Brothers, with A Way Out, Hazelight Studios has lived up to the heady standards set by Fares' previous game while at the same time moving in a different direction through the decision to make the title co-op only.
Critically lauded for its immersive two-player gameplay, A Way Out has also been a commercial success for the fledgling studio, selling more than one million copies since its March release. Everyone is keen to find out what the film director turned developer is working on next, though he hasn't given away too many details yet.
Stunlock Studios
Based in Skövde in southern Sweden, Stunlock has been around since 2010 but it's 2017 multiplayer Battlerite that's their most exciting work to date, earning praise for its focus on skill and an addictive fast pace.
The Swedish company has just launched a professional league for players of the game to help satisfy the demands of its growing community.
READ ALSO: Inside the office of a Stockholm VR games developer
Coldwood Interactive
Umeå's Coldwood Interactive wowed gamers with the release of unique platformer Unravel in multiple formats in 2016, being rated as the best new title for PC by Metacritic and stunning with its unique visuals and sound.
Fans are now waiting with bated breath for more information on the sequel, with details still scarce.
Known for the hugely popular Just Cause series that has spawned three titles and a movie project since launching in 2006, Stockholm's Avalanche has been focusing on a hunting simulator in recent years but it's the recent revelation that their next project will be another open-world action game that has really thrilled gamers.
An intriguing detail is that the new project will make use of the real-life faces of 12 people, who can apply to have their likeness immortalized in the game.
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