In this two-year program, you will be armed with all the tools to start your own career in the games industry.
Indie Game Developer is a two-year post-secondary education for professional game development, held in collaboration with Sunderby Folkhögskola – a Swedish vocational school education (Folkhögskola) which is based on the students’ needs, previous knowledge, and experience.
You will learn how to work as a professional game developer with focus on small and medium-sized game companies – “Indiespelbolag”. The goal is to position you where you are job-ready upon graduation and stand out from the graduate crowd, and ultimately prepare you for a successful career.
Read here for more information on Sunderby Folkhögskola’s website (Swedish).
The program promotes creativity and structure in projects. It focuses on real & tangible production of game projects and is supported by lectures, presentations / pitches for industry guests, both internal and external from within the gaming industry, which assesses assignments, game productions, and provides professional feedback.
Each module includes theory, lectures, inspiration, practical production, and presentation opportunities. The modules are divided weekly with progressive learning or in-depth learning of new tools.
The lectures are conducted either on campus or online and are followed by production-type assignments . Supervision is provided partially on site or delivered digitally.
In addition to lectures, guest lecturers and various professionals from creative industries and the video game industry will contribute to your education. On-the-job training (spring term, Year 2) includes a 20-week internship provides excellent opportunities to develop and establish valuable network for your career future.
Sweden has world leading developers within AAA, indie-game developers, console, PC. mobile, VR/AR, digital distribution and specialized subcontractors. The biggest challenges of the sector are indirect such as access to skills and talents.
We have close working relationships and are in direct cooperation with the games industry.
Some of these companies and studios includes King, Avalanche Studios, Ubisoft, EA DICE, Fatshark, Paradox Interactive, Starbreeze Studios, Glorious Games Group, Uprise, NEAT Corporation, Epic Games, Really Interactive, and the list goes on. Many companies support this higher vocational education, and around 20-30 game studios are actively involved in Futuregames every year.
Read or download the Game Developer Index 2021 here to get more insights to the games industry in Sweden.
We are supported by solid business networks that works with a sustainable model, such as Boden Game Camp.
Boden Game Camp is an eco-system for every individual and company to learn, grow, and thrive in Boden. They could be the start or the accelator for your career in the game industry. Read more about how Boden Game Camp can support your journey here.
This two-year program is exclusively located in Boden Business Park/Boden Gamecamp, whom may also be able to assist with student accommodation close to the campus.
Contact Emil Sandberg for more information: emil@bodenbusinesspark.se or +46 70 280 40 92.
• Knowledge of the game development process from the ideation of a game concept for different platforms and distribution of computer games with a special focus on indie games.
• Knowledge of the design of the environments in which the game takes place and how different design elements affect the player’s motivation to play.
• Analysis of computer games for the mechanisms that reward and penalize players, playability criteria.
• Testing of games during ongoing production to find bugs for action before games are placed on the market.
• Project management and project management according to agile methods when working in groups during ongoing productions.
• Design of games for mobile / tablet and PC and with the latest tools that are the industry standard for indie games.
• Presentation technique for pitching games and game results.
• Entrepreneurship, the financial and creative conditions for running a company and the laws that govern entrepreneurship.
• Relevant sales / marketing and distribution channels and forms of financing.
01 February: Applications to fall term 2022 is open.
Application is made through Sunderby Folkhögskola’s website here (link) – only available in Swedish.
To apply as an international student, please proceed to our international student page to read through the application process.
Need your questions answered? Register for our Open House and speak to us directly.
For questions about Sunderby Folkhögskola, applications, tuition fees, etc.
Please contact Malin Styrman at https://www.sunderbyfolkhogskola.se/studie-och-yrkesvagledare/
01 June: Deadline for applications.
For Swedish nationals: This course is eligible for CSN. Please apply on their website at www.csn.se.
As soon as you have received your offer letter from Futuregames, you can apply for CSN. If you need extra documentation from the school, please contact your course manager.
The school reports to CSN regularly to verify that students are continuing their studies, as part of the agreement between CSN and each student.
You will now be transferred to our application system. This is where you attach your grade certificate from school, CV etc. When your application is complete we will contact you. We wish you all the best with your application!