Sweden’s First Walk of Game Inaugurated in Skövde

On October 3, 2024, Skövde unveiled Sweden’s first and only Walk of Game, a unique installation celebrating the city’s thriving video game industry. Located on Rådhusgatan in central Skövde, this gaming-focused version of the Walk of Fame showcases the city’s significant contributions to the world of video games.

Skövde has become a hotspot for game development through the dedicated efforts of Sweden Game Arena. Over 100 companies have emerged from the Sweden Game Startup program, with some achieving remarkable success and selling millions of copies worldwide.

Criteria for Inclusion

To be featured on Skövde’s Walk of Game, games must meet the following criteria:

• At least 3 million copies sold or 15 million downloads for free games
• Majority of development (at least 50% of work hours before release) done in Skövde
• Original concept

Games Honored

Five Skövde-developed games are now immortalized with bronze plaques on Rådhusgatan:

• Goat Simulator (Coffee Stain Studios, 2014)
• RAFT (Redbeet Interactive, 2022)
• Satisfactory (Coffee Stain Studios, 2024)
• Valheim (Iron Gate, 2021 early access)
• V Rising (Stunlock Studios, 2024)

“The gaming industry is an important piece in Skövde’s development, and we are very proud of the global successes our Skövde companies have reaped. I am both happy and proud to inaugurate Skövde Walk of Game today,” says Theres Sahlström, Chairman of the Municipal Board in Skövde.

Per Strömbäck, spokesperson for the Swedish Games Industry, praised Skövde’s unique success in building a “hit machine” for games, expressing hope that the Walk of Game will help bring these achievements into the public eye.

The inauguration took place during the ongoing Sweden Game Conference in Skövde, featuring music from Valheim and V Rising performed on cello by Silia Hahne.

“We are thrilled to have this manifestation of video games in central Skövde so that both residents and visitors can physically see the successes that Skövde’s video game companies have had over the years,” says Tau Petersson, destination developer for video games at Next Skövde. “We obviously hope for further successes and that we will be able to expand with more bronze plaques in the future.”

The Walk of Game is a testament to Skövde’s growing importance in the global gaming industry and serves as an inspiring attraction for both locals and visitors interested in video game development.

For more information about Skövde’s Walk of Game and the city’s thriving game development scene, visit Skövde Walk of Game and Sweden Game Arena.

Source: Next Skövde Press Release