The Slovakian game industry doubled in the last 4 years

According to a report from the Slovak Game Developers Association, the Slovakian games industry has grown by over 50 percent since 2016.

The annual turnover for the Slovakian games industry in 2019 was €51 million. Back in 2016 the annual turnover was less than half of that at €24.1 million, showing exponential growth leading up to 2020.

Between 2018 and 2019 the annual turnover for the country’s games industry grew by 12 percent, and it’s currently estimated that the turnover for 2020 will reach €55 million.

The growth in the Slovakian games industry’s turnover is reflected in the number of people employed by that industry. In 2016 the number of workers in the Slovakian games industry was 436, while in 2019 it was recorded at 762.

The growth of staff in the industry is expected to continue at the same rate for the current year. Based on 238 new positions opening up last year, it’s expected that the total number of people working in the industry will hit 900 by the end of 2020.

Unfortunately the report doesn’t give any indication of how many new game companies opened in Slovakia between 2016 and now. However, there is some more information that gives us further insight into the industry.

Of the 762 people currently working in the industry, 125 are women, and 40 are international. Almost €1.5 million in public funding has been provided to game companies since 2016, which have gone on to support 90 projects.

A large number of games have been developed in Slovakia, many of which have gone on to sell millions of copies. The majority of the most well-known games developed in the country include Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011, 2012, 2013, and Air Conflicts: Vietnam.

While most of the games being developed there may be sub-par compared to the powerhouse triple-A titles from big-name developers, they are games that gain many fans. Over the coming years, it’s likely that the number of games coming out of the country will grow quickly, especially given how connected publishers and distributors are now.