10 Unlikely Countries That Make Awesome Video Games

For some reason folks like to think all development studios are either from America, Western Europe, or Japan. Partially due to the fact that this was mostly true of the industry for a long time, it's become an increasingly incorrect notion as globalization has allowed smaller nations in distant pockets of the world to start making games.

This is a phenomenal trend in the industry because very rarely do we get to experience the cultural norms, unique histories, or differences in values and ideas without visiting these far-off lands. However, with games making their creators' - and therefore, tangentially, their nations' - ideas accessible, we can come to a greater appreciation for the differences between us.

Notable Developers: CD Projekt Red, People Can Fly

Notable Games: The Witcher, Bulletstorm

The Witcher could not have come from any other country in the world. Partially because it's based off a series of books written in Polish by a Polish author, and partially because no western developer would be crazy enough to make a game quite like it. Thankfully it all came to gether and we got a very unique look into some of Poland's finest fantasy work.

Notable Developers: Playdead, IO Interactive

Notable Games: LIMBO, Hitman: Absolution

Denmark's most notable literary contribution was the birth of Hans Christian Andersen and his collection of fairy tales that mixed morality and dark humor for a haunting blend of childish wonder and nightmare fuel. It seems Playdead hopes to keep Copenhagen's tradition alive and well with LIMBO, injecting a great deal of the macabre into an otherwise playful adventure tale.

Notable Developers: Rovio Entertainment, Remedy Entertainment, RedLynx, Frozenbyte

Notable Games: Angry Birds, Alan Wake, Trials HD, Trine

It's not uncommon for a country to recognize great works its peoples produce once they receive international acclaim, but the level of obsession Finland has for Angry Birds borders on insane. Not only has the country developed an entire amusement park devoted to the game, but it consistently gets recognized with the rest of the country's greatest inventions including Linux and the sauna.

Notable Developers: Bohemia Interactive

Notable Games: ARMA II

The Czech Republic has a long history of military conflict and conquest. With deployments in a majority of NATO and UN operations worldwide, it's no surprise that Bohemia Interactive opted to make the world's most authentic military simulation game. With great respect paid to the rules of engagement and accurate depictions of operations, it fits the bill of this very civil military.

Notable Developers: TaleWorlds

Notable Games: Mount & Blade

The city of Ankara where TaleWorlds is based was one of the most hotly contested lands throughout history. Although existing since before 2000 BC it has changed leadership so many times it's difficult to keep track. Perhaps inspired by the history of their homeland, Mount & Blade's developers went on to make a thoroughly dynamic strategy RPG about five warring factions all looking to rule the same little kingdom.

Notable Developers: Haemimont Games

Notable Games: Tropico 4

Tropico 4 may be a game about being a ruthless dictator of a small nation, but Bulgaria itself couldn't be more democratic even if it wanted to. Currently run by an elected minority government divided between five political parties (plus 10% independent representatives), Bulgaria has a far more varied political structure than we do in America.

Notable Developers: ACE Team

Notable Games: Rock of Ages, Zeno Clash

Street art is fairly popular in Chile and unlike many of the small tags and murals you find in America, the artists over there break out a myriad of colors to express something truly unique. It would seem as if ACE Team was influenced by the designs of some of the more popular Chilean street artists when doing the character designs for Zeno Clash as the unusual humanoid forms that made the game stand out are also rather common in the nation's graffiti.

Notable Developers: DeadMage, Puya Arts

Notable Games: Garshasp: The Monster Slayer, Quest of Persia

While you might not expect an Islamic theocracy to support game development, the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has recently offered many grants to local developers who are willing to produce video games that speak to their vision of Iran's culture and history. Their aim is to produce content that educates players on the unique heritage of Persia in a positive light; in most western countries we call this propaganda.

Notable Developers: 4A Games, GSC Game World

Notable Games: Metro 2033, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

It makes sense that the two most notable developers in the Ukraine would both develop games featuring references to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster that so definitively shaped the culture of the country. The setting has been borrowed many times by many developers the world over, but it's 4A Games and GSC Game World that really manage to capture the desolation and hopelessness of a truly toxic area.

Notable Developers: DICE, Mojang, Frictional Games

Notable Games: Battlefield 3, Minecraft, Amnesia: The Dark Descent

When it comes to underappreciated development countries that undoubtedly contribute in a massive way to the industry, Sweden stands alone at the top of that list of overlooked nations. Housing massive triple-A developers, indie success stories, and everything in between, Sweden may just be the best place to develop games; if you can stand the cold that is.