Skövde – Sweden’s Leading Gaming City

Nestled in the heart of Sweden between lakes and forests, Skövde is a vibrant city of around 58,000 inhabitants that punches far above its weight in the global games industry.

Widely recognized as Sweden’s premier gaming hub, Skövde stands out thanks to the University of Skövde — home to Northern Europe’s broadest range of game development programs and Sweden’s leading game research center. Every year, more than 600 students train in game design, programming, art, sound, and narrative, feeding directly into a thriving local ecosystem.

Home to iconic studios like Coffee Stain (Goat Simulator) and Stunlock Studios (V Rising), and birthplace of major hits such as Valheim and many other million-selling titles, Skövde has produced an impressive number of successful games. With over 100 game companies started through the Sweden Game Startup incubator, 200+ professional developers, and the annual Sweden Game Conference drawing international talent, the city forms one of Europe’s most dynamic game clusters.

Here, education, research, incubation, and business come together under the Sweden Game Arena umbrella — creating a unique environment where ideas turn into world-class games.