The leading games industry conference, Pocket Gamer Connects, returns to Helsinki for the 10th year this October 1-2.

More than 1,500 delegates will gather for two days of networking at every level, from first-time jobseekers to executives from some of the biggest brands in the world.

As part of the event, the Big Screen Gaming Summit expands on PG Connects’ mission to provide a dedicated forum for discussion and content on multiplatform games including web3, PC, console, and XR. This side event features 8 conference tracks with industry leaders, platforms, publishers, and topics that explore the specific struggles and opportunities of each platform.

Ahead of the event we checked in with one of the speakers, Åke André, who is the CEO of Crypto Rogue Games. As a Swedish game developer, André has first-hand experience of the difficulties of lacking crypto market regulations. He will also talk about how to build better user experiences, drawing from lessons he’s learnt from Crypto Rogue’s own ARPG Crystalfall.

BlockchainGamer: Tell us what Crypto Rogue Games is working on at the moment?

André: Crystalfall is a steampunk loot-driven hack’n’slash ARPG.

What’s the state of blockchain gaming in Sweden?

Still in a maturing phase but with a lot more clarity thanks to the new MiCA regulation.

What will you talk about at PG Connects Helsinki?

I will share our journey and the errors we made along the way when working with web3.

What are some key takeaways from your talk?

• Tools and knowledge on how to avoid making some of the costly mistakes when deciding to build a web3 game.
• Better understanding what is complexed and not complexed with web3.
• Overall better understanding regarding the regulatory landscape for studios who want to use web3.
• Better understanding if and how web3 could solve or improve player experience in games.

What do you think will impact the blockchain games industry the most in the coming year?

The biggest impact will and can only happen once we start to see games using blockchain being successful. 

That starts by reclaiming the moral high ground around building games using this technology while keeping the player in focus and asking the most basic question “Is this fun?”.

Åke André is scheduled to speak on October 2nd at 15:20-15:40 in track room 3.

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Best known for its fjords, forests, saunas and generous coffee consumption, the Nordics is also a region with many key blockchain game developers.

So ahead of PG Connects’ return to Helsinki on 1st-2nd October, which also features the exciting debut of our Big Screen Gaming Summit, BlockchainGamer has taken a closer look at some of the prominent web3 games teams across the Nordic countries.

Antler Interactive

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, and best known for PC-based open-world MMORPG My Neighbor Alice, Antler Interactive started out as SVRVIVE Studios in 2016. Originally it focused on VR gaming but has since pivoted towards blockchain-integrated games as well as building its own Chromia infrastructure. 

After working on fully onchain flagship title My Neighbor Alice since 2021, the team unveiled AI-enhanced RPG Cloudborn, its second blockchain game, earlier in 2024.

Continuing to adopt new technologies, Antler emphasises its vision to appeal to traditional gamers however, leveraging web2 platforms such as Steam in addition to its web3 native marketplaces to reach new players.

The company’s logo of a deer’s antlers symbolises the spirit of regrowth and constant evolvement, as well as the studio’s Nordic inheritance.

Bright Star Studios

Aiming to eliminate barriers usually associated with web3, Danish developer Bright Star Studios and its game veteran CEO Mark Laursen, continues to refine its no-wallet-just-stream approach. For this reason, its isometric social sandbox MMORPG Ember Sword can run on any device, anywhere in the world, without the need to own NFTs.

Working towards the official launch, Ember Sword has run several playtests and a recent EMBER token airdrop campaign, but the developer has also pointed out that many features are still to be added, such as quests and an expanded playable map.

CCP Games

Most famed for its long-running space MMOG EVE Online, for which it has received numerous awards and global recognition, Icelandic developer CCP Games made its mark in the web3 gaming industry in 2023 with the announcement of Project Awakening. 

Building on the artistry, game design, and player-driven narratives of the EVE universe, the ambitious PC-based title is a logical progression of the studio’s long-term vision of composability and infinite player-centric value. To that end, CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson has said, “We aim for everything around EVE Online to go on forever.”

Backed by $40 million, Project Awakening aims to leverage blockchain technology as well as open-source its Carbon engine to encourage player participation in world creation.

Crypto Rogue Games

Founded by ex-esports pro Åke André, Crypto Rogue Games is headquartered in northern Sweden. The team’s strong gamer background is evident in its game-first-crypto-second approach, which it hopes will lead to more intentional blockchain implementation that tangibly improves gameplay.

Currently working on PC-based post-apocalyptic steampunk ARPG Crystals of Naramunz, the team has partnered with Merit Circle to release open beta in Q4 2024 on the Beam infrastructure.

Directive Games

Another developer with partly Icelandic roots is Directive Games. Indeed, the company operates across three different locations, with its north office in Reykjavik, east in Shanghai, and west in Los Angeles. Its global setup allows the developer to tap into a diverse range of talent pools and audiences, driving innovation and creativity. 

Making its presence known in the space in 2023 with PC-based top-down 4V4 hero shooter The Machines Arena, Directive Games gained attention as being one of the first thirdparty teams to build on Sky Mavis’ Ronin blockchain.

Available across PC distribution platforms Epic Games Store and Steam, The Machines Arena recently launched its play-to-airdrop campaign, letting players earn TMA tokens through quests, NFT minting and gameplay, ahead of the TMA token launch.

Dynasty Studios

Joining the likes of more ambitious blockchain games on Avalanche such as Shrapnel, Off The Grid, and BloodLoop, Danish/Turkish developer Dynasty Studios is working on PC zombie survival shooter Providence.

Unveiled in 2023, the developer’s flagship web3 title features 4v4 PvPvE and is built using Unreal Engine 5. In terms of gameplay, players are challenged to create everything from scratch by exploring and scavenging resources and crafting new items using blueprints they find in the multiple zombie worlds. 

Founded in 2011, Dynasty Studios’ previous games include the Expeditions series and Clandestine. 

Empires Not Vampires

When it comes to dedication and tenacity, small Finish game studio Empires Not Vampires has bundles of it. Founded by various game veterans, prior to venturing into blockchain the studio had released a series of mobile games including DJ game MIXMSTR. Its flagship web3 title Paradise Tycoon is a browser/mobile based tycoon multiplayer game including social interaction and strategic gameplay, aiming to establish a player-driven economy. 

Its player-centric focus is evident in the company name – Empires Not Vampires – which reflects its commitment to enhance player agency and ownership rather than exploiting players through predatory monetization models, often referred to as vampire mechanics.

MetaKing Studios

For a long time – indeed since 2017 – Swedish developer MetaKing Studios was only working on blockchain-based mediaeval PC strategy game Blocklords. Or so it appeared, until more recently, when it released the companion game Blocklords Dynasty. 

Clearly part of the Blocklords franchise, with Blocklords Dynasty MetaKing has further emphasised its ever evolving vision of the vast web3 games ecosystem it’s creating. What was “a very simple concept at first” consisting of hero creation, is now two different games with its own rewards systems, deployed on different networks, and united by the LRDS token and interoperable Hero NFTs. On top of that, the company has also built its own L3 Lordchain. 

Perhaps a major explanation to its innovative drive is MetaKing CEO David Johansson. After studying film school in the US he found himself randomly ending up in China where he ventured into games and gathered experience in building free-to-play economies and digital worlds. 

This is one of the many reasons MetaKing Studios also made it to our Top 50 Blockchain Game Companies 2024.

Mystic Games

Helmed by ex-Rovio and King team member Matthew Buxton, Mystic Games has its roots in Sweden. Its flagship mobile game Call of the Voyd – “where gaming meets innovation through NFTs” – is a top-down shooter ARPG roguelite deployed on Immutable.

That and its significant focus on competitive win-to-earn gameplay through its roguelite royale element, as well as being easily accessible via traditional mobile app stores, are factors contributing to its early momentum. At the end of July, it claimed it had reached over 37,000 Immutable Passport wallets.

Nibiru

With the third most popular game on Polygon next after Sunflower Land and Anichess, Swedish developer Nibiru and its resource strategy game Planet IX does not shy away from the play-to-earn label. At the core of Planet IX’s in-game economy are the land NFTs called PIX, and its IXT token. Both active gameplay and stakeholding are rewarded within this gaming ecosystem.

Headquartered in Stockholm, since its foundation Nibiru has grown from two to over 30 team members. In addition to Planet IX, it’s also released the Illumicati project and its associated meme-token MILK.

Walker Labs

Announcing its settlement on Merit Circle’s L2 Beam, Walker Labs is working on ambitious web3 open world game Walker World (former Cryptowalkers), which is based on the developer’s original Walkers avatars. These interoperable assets can be used across multiple games, such as recently seen in Nifty Island, expanding owners’ opportunities.

In terms of gameplay, Walker World allows players and creators to own and build on their land, cooperate in multiple game modes, as well as participate in zombie fights using an expanding arsenal of weapons.

PGC Helsinki and Big Screen Gaming Summit 2024

Discover more about web3 gaming in the Nordic countries, as well as other emerging technologies, by checking out our upcoming Big Screen Gaming Summit, which is brought to Helsinki as part of our popular PG Connects conference this October 1st-2nd 2024.

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