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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...

Published: 18 April 2018 06:59 CEST
Updated: 18 April 2018 07:59 CEST
10 of the coolest Swedish games developers to work for
A screenshot from critically acclaimed A Way Out, developed by Josef Fares' studio Hazelight. Photo: Hazelight

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.

 
 

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READER INSIGHTS

How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who’ve been there, done that

The Swedish job market poses unique challenges for newcomers. The Local's readers share their best tips for cracking the career code.

Published: 10 April 2024 11:32 CEST
Updated: 13 April 2024 15:50 CEST
How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who've been there, done that

Network, network, network!

A statistic that often gets tossed around is that seven out of ten jobs in Sweden are obtained through personal connections, and there’s no doubt that a good network is crucial to your job hunt, making the labour market extra challenging for newcomers to the country.

In fact, networking was the main tip mentioned by The Local’s readers.

“The job market is quite hot in Sweden, and talent is in short supply. People hiring do not have a lot of time to find the right talent, and tips from friends, colleagues and former colleagues are the way to first, find out organisations are hiring, and secondly, get your CV on the short list,” said Kyle, a Canadian reader who works in innovation management in Gothenburg.

“If you are going for a major employer like Volvo, network gets you in the door, as HR does not have much to do with hiring… the hiring managers do all of it and have no time, due to the insane number of consensus meetings. If you are looking for smaller organisations, they have even less time to find people, and networking is their primary way to find talent,” he added.

NETWORKING IN SWEDEN:

Some of the networking tips readers mentioned were going to job fairs, getting an internship to help you establish connections in your preferred field, joining clubs (this could be anything from your local gardening association to meetups for coders, but focus on clubs that may be popular among people working in your chosen field), and drawing on your organic network of friends, neighbours and others.

Don’t neglect the groundwork

The saying “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” is getting worn out (and people may look at you funny if you turn up to interviews in a Batman suit), but there’s truth to the notion of making sure you know what you want – and preparing for it.

In other words, don’t wait for a job ad to appear before you start to customise your CV and figure out what skill set you need. Create your CV now so that you’re ready to tweak it to your dream job – you could even have a general look at job ads in your field to see what requirements are needed. And don’t forget to spruce up your LinkedIn profile so that it fits with your career goals.

“I believe that several factors contribute to successfully landing a desirable job in Sweden. It’s essential to prepare to meet the requirements beyond just having a university degree. Many individuals realise these requirements only after completing their studies when they start searching for a job, which can be too late,” said Adnan Aslam from Pakistan, who works as a food inspector.

“I recommend identifying the job advertisements for positions you aspire to hold in the future and then preparing for those requirements during your studies. For me, acquiring a basic level of proficiency in the Swedish language and obtaining a Swedish driving licence were crucial. I pursued these goals during my studies and was able to secure a desirable job before graduating,” he added.

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Felipe Cabral even has a GPT assistant trained on his own CVs and old cover letters, and said the set-up only takes ten minutes if you already have your documents. “With that in place, you can give instructions like: Read this job description and create a tailored version of my CV and letter for it. (…) Remember to always review and ask it not to create data aside from your documents.”

Be flexible and ready to adapt

Moving to a new place inevitably means having to learn not just the practicalities such as how to write a CV or which websites to use to look for job openings, but also learning how to navigate a new culture with all its unspoken expectations.

Swedish workplaces are generally less hierarchical than many other countries, but that doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want whenever you want without anyone raising an eyebrow. Swedes are usually direct, but be careful of being too abrasive or boastful: raising your voice, even during a spirited argument, or banging your own drum to show off your skills may not go down well.

“Talk, deliberate, complain like a Swede and you’ll come across like you know what the job entails, so your trustworthiness increases,” said an Indian data analyst who preferred to remain anonymous.

“Office politics are just as strong in Sweden as anywhere else. The flat hierarchy is deceiving as social hierarchy is enforced quite a bit in that lack of formal hierarchy. Take your time in learning these dynamics wherever you work before revealing your talent and capabilities. Expect those internal politics to happen, and they won’t hurt so much when they do,” said Kyle, the Canadian reader in Gothenburg.

This article about Swedish office politics may be useful.

Stay true to yourself

Adapting to your surroundings is one thing. Completely changing who you are is another.

For one thing, your happiness is as important as your career progression, and for another, your foreignness need not be an impediment: it’s also a skill that sets you apart from the rest. It means you have unique experience, and also, in the right setting, provides an opportunity to sometimes violate those social rules we mentioned above, because people assume you will, anyway.

“Trust is key. Build trust in your network, work with integrity. It’s OK to violate jantelagen if you are maintaining integrity. Sometimes your outsider and more honest/open opinion will burn bridges, especially those that may feel threatened by talent. But it will build trust with other colleagues who see it as brave and more trustworthy to work with,” said Kyle from Canada.

Hunker down for the long haul

We don’t want to scare you, because there are plenty of examples of people who quickly find their dream job in Sweden and settle into their new workplace, enjoying perks such as long summer holidays, generous parental leave and the famous work-life balance.

But if you do find it tougher than you expected: know that you’re not alone.

Several readers who responded to the survey said they were still trying to find a job in Sweden.

“I found jobs all over Europe but not here. They say they have a lack of experienced senior engineers but the don’t seem to be doing much to solve this,” said a Brazilian in Gothenburg.

A reader from Bangladesh said she was “at a loss” as to how to make a career change from her current AI role in Stockholm, despite many years of experience as an IT project manager.

“Over the past 18 months, I’ve submitted over 600 applications to various organisations. Unfortunately, despite being overqualified for some positions, I’ve faced rejections at every turn, from both large and small companies. The job market here, especially for foreign-born women, feels overwhelmingly challenging,” she said, adding that the struggle had impacted her mental health.

The Local has on several occasions reported on foreign residents’ struggle to get a foot on the Swedish job ladder, with many facing hurdles such as employers’ unfamiliarity with international degrees, discrimination, or a lack of network that can provide paths into a company.

So during the job hunt, don’t forget to care for yourself. Share your concerns with fellow job-seekers, ask for help and join networking groups – this is good not just for creating new contacts, but also in terms of your social well-being and meeting people who are in a similar situation.

And finally, as one British reader in Stockholm advised, keep looking: “Be open-minded with the opportunities that present themselves. It isn’t an easy market to enter and doesn’t feel inclusive.” But he added, “don’t give up”.

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