I’m just estimating, here, but I think it would be safe to say that about 90% of the games we play are developed in either the United States or Japan.  The two countries have been at the forefront of the gaming world since its inception, and in the 30-odd years of the industry’s existence, they’ve never been supplanted as the chief providers of interactive entertainment.  Debates may rage as to which country makes better games, but no one who knows anything about gaming would dispute their shared dominance.

There are, however, almost 200 other countries in the world today, and many of them have their own gaming culture and history.  As a result, many of these nations are the home of their own game development houses, and while they may not be nearly as prolific as the “Big Two,” a lot of good games have come out of some unlikely places.  Some countries, like the UK and Canada, have a long tradition of game development, while others, like Croatia and Turkey, have produced only a few titles. 

We thought it was high time that these countries, and their developers, got the respect and recognition they deserve.  To that end, we’ve assembled a list of the best game to be developed in every country that has a gaming industry.  We’ve left out Japan and the US, because deciding the best games from each one is an article in itself (stay tuned), but here are the best games from the rest of the world.

 

Australia – Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

I know what you’re going to say; “What about BioShock?”  Well, yes, BioShock was partly developed in Australia, but a large portion of the game was created in Boston, MA, so I can’t quite count it as an Australian game. Puzzle Quest, however, was developed by the St. Kilda, Australia-based Infinite Interactive, and is as Australian as a kangaroo drinking Foster’s off of a boomerang.  It also happens to be one of the best puzzle games of the last decade, and one that has essentially spawned its own mini-genre of puzzle/RPG hybrids.

 

Belgium – Divine Divinity

Admittedly, it’s one of the worst game titles ever, but Divine Divinity is actually a pretty good RPG.  Developed by Lorian Studios, Divine Divinity kicked of the Divinity franchise, which has seen four iterations so far, and received critical acclaim for its customization and immersive fantasy world.  Some gamers call it a Diablo clone, but Blizzard’s dungeon crawler didn’t come close to the level of role-playing depth that Divine Divinity does. 

 

Brazil – Outlive

Brazil has produced a handful of games over the last couple of decades, but only one has been published outside of South America; Outlive.  A humans-vs-robots RTS, Outlive was developed by Continuum Entertainment, the only Brazilian developer, and featured two different single-player campaigns, as well as a cooperative campaign.  It may look a bit generic now, but when it was released in 2000, it was right on par with games like Age of Empires II and Homeworld.

 

Bulgaria – Tropico 3

Leave it to the Bulgarians to create a city management sim based in the Caribbean.  Seriously, what do Bulgarians know about tropical islands?  Apparently a lot, because their largest developer, Haemimont Games, crafted the best Tropico yet, capturing the series’ trademark humor and gameplay while ramping up presentation to a whole new level.  Tropico 4 is being developed in Bulgaria, too, so I expect this list to update itself once that one comes out.

 

Canada – Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic

Canada is so closely tied to the US that it almost feels unfair to list them as their own development country, but hey, they have their own currency (sort of), so they’re in.  It’s a good thing, too, because tons of AAA titles have been developed in The Great White North.  Ubisoft Montreal produces almost nothing but hits, and EA’s Canadian studios have produced some incredible hockey games, but none of those games can match up to Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic.  Possibly BioWare’s greatest achievement, KotOR presented fans with the most fully realized and mesmerizing corner of the Star Wars Universe since the original trilogy, and featured one of the greatest twists in gaming history.

 

China – Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent

China isn’t home to a lot of game publishers or independent studios, but existing dev houses love to set up shops in China.  One of the most prolific of these satellite developers is Ubisoft Shanghai, developers of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent.  The PS2, GameCube, Wii, and Xbox versions were developed in Montreal, but the HD systems were left to Ubisoft Shanghai, who proceeded to bring us an excellent Splinter Cell game that combined advanced stealth gameplay with an intriguing “trust” system and innovative multiplayer modes.

 

Croatia – Serious Sam II

So far, only four games have come out of the former Soviet Republic of Croatia; a clone of Sensible Soccer called Football Glory, and educational title called Urban Jungle, and the two Serious Sam games.  Developed by the appropriately named Croteam, the first Serious Sam introduced players to its unique mix of crude humor, ridiculous scenarios, and hordes of mindless enemies, but Serious Sam II developed the formula even further, with improved graphics, new weapons, and an increased focus on storytelling.

 

Czech Republic – Machinarium

Developed by Amanita Design, Machinarium is a point-and-click PC adventure game with a steampunk-influenced aesthetic.  It’s probably the best game that’s ever come out of the Czech Republic, mostly due to a lack of any other quality titles, but it will probably end up being a placeholder for Mafia II, which arrives later this year. 

 

Denmark – Freedom Fighters

I find it odd that a Danish developer, like IO Interactive, made such a purely American title as Freedom Fighters, but they did, and it’s awesome.  One of the great, overlooked shooters of the PS2 era, Freedom Fighters tells the story of two New York plumbers and their battle to free the United States from Soviet invasion.  Utilizing an innovative squad system that allows players to gather and command new team members, and an open-ended mission structure that allows players to take down objectives in whatever order they choose, Freedom Fighters isn’t just the best Danish game, it’s an excellent third-person shooter that should be checked out by anyone who still has a working PS2.

 

Finland – Trials HD

More than any game ever, perhaps, Trials HD snuck up on me and stole not only my heart, but also countless hours of play-time.  Developed by RedLynx, Trials HD is a difficult game to describe.  It’s sort of a platformer, sort of a racer, sort of a trick game, and sort of the spiritual successor to Excitebike.  It’s also sort of awesome, and edges out some other major Finnish titles, like Alan Wake, De Blob, and even the first two Max Payne games as the best game to come out of Finland.  Finland; who knew?

 

France – Beyond Good & Evil

As the home base of mega-publisher Ubisoft, France’s gaming industry is highly developed, and highly accomplished.  Among the best games that the French have come up with are titles like Rayman, Syberia, and Trackmania, but none of them can match up to Beyond Good and Evil.  The masterpiece of French gaming legend Michel Ancel, BG&E is widely accepted as one of the best games of its decade, and its varied gameplay and well-crafted characters have become icons of good game design.

 

Germany – Crysis

Germany has never been a country that’s comfortable with subtlety.  It’s evident in their language, their architecture, and yes, their history.  That’s why Crysis, along with being a spectacular FPS, feels so German.  Whereas some countries (I’m looking at you, France) might try to impress gamers with softly shaded, highly stylized renderings of magical fantasy realms, Crytek, the Frankfurt-based developer, simply blew the doors off with visuals that pushed powerful gaming PCs to their absolute limits, and redefined what could be done with physics.  It ain’t subtle, but it sure is impressive.

 

Hungary – Ecco the Dolphin

Hungary.  Seriously?  I wasn’t even sure if there still was a Hungary.  Maybe that’s why their best video game came out almost 20 years ago.  Ecco the Dolphin, the legendary Sega Genesis title, was developed by the little-known Novotrade International, and released in 1992.  Since then, Hungary has produced a surprising amount of titles, but none that have come close to living up to the legacy of Ecco.

 

Iceland – EVE Online

Iceland, which is slightly larger than my car, actually produces video games.  And here, I thought their main exports were glitter, stories about bridge trolls, and whimsy.  As it turns out, CCP Games, the makers and curators of EVE Online, are based in Reykjavik.  EVE isn’t the most heavily populated MMO out there, but that’s not in any way a reflection of the game’s quality; it’s more a reflection of the game’s insane depth and complexity.  It’s not for everyone, but EVE Online is one of the most ambitious and impressive persistent game worlds ever created.

 

Iran - Quest of Persia: Lotfali Khan Zand

I’ll be honest with you here; I’ve never played Quest of Persia.  Then again, neither have you.  Iran’s gaming tradition consists of a few pieces of propaganda that double as third-person shooters, and the Quest of Persia series.  It looks like a Prince of Persia rip-off, with significantly inferior visuals, but it’s gotta be better than Saving the Port, which is about…saving a port.

 

Israel - Jane's IAF: Israeli Air Force

Back in 1998, EA, looking to capitalize on a growing gamer market in Israel, published a game for a little-known Israeli developer called Pixel Multimedia.  The game was a flight simulator called Jane’s IAF: Israeli Air Force, and represented the pinnacle of Israeli game development.  An impressive title, Jane’s was one of the first flight sims to use realistic terrain based on stereoscopic terrain data, and showcased realistic graphics.  And that was it.  After that, Israeli game development essentially stopped.  There were plans for an MMO called Ballerium, but they dissolved quickly, leaving Jane’s IAF as the best Israeli game ever, if only by default.

 

Italy - SBK-07 Superbike World Championship

Italy has a surprisingly sparse gaming tradition.  With the exception of a few racing titles, they haven’t really produced much electronic entertainment of any kind.  The best of those racing games is probably SBK-07 Superbike World Championship, the official video game of Superbike World Championships.  The game serves as a highly realistic simulator, but also offers a more arcade-style play mode for less experienced riders.

 

South Korea – Lineage II

Again, another game I haven’t actually played.  It doesn’t matter, though, because any game that can engender the kind of blind, unhealthy devotion that Lineage II does has to have something going for it.  This is a game that has over 600,000 players in a country that’s only slightly larger than Indiana, has caused people to starve themselves to death, and inspired a Ukrainian gamer to stomp an opponent to death in real life.  To be honest, the game seems a bit repetitive for my tastes, but it has to have something going for it.  Mayb it's the scantily clad elf chicks.

 

Netherlands – Killzone 2

The Netherlands or Holland?  Which one is it?  And who the hell are the Dutch?  It’s so confusing.  Maybe that’s why so few games have come out of the country.  In recent years, though, Amsterdam-based Guerrilla Games has given the Dutch a lot more credibility with their Killzone series.  Possibly the PS3’s best FPS, Killzone 2 may have taken forever to come out, but when it did, it actually managed to live up to its considerable hype.

 

New Zealand – GripShift

Something of a hidden gem, GripShift combines stunt racing with puzzle-platforming to make one of the most unique and addictive experiences on the PSP.  The game was developed by Sidhe Interactive, a Wellington-based company who has spent much of their 13 years of existence focusing on rugby games for the Australian market.  With GripShift, they found a formula that worked for a broader audience.  It got almost no marketing push, though, and sales were minimal.  It’s a shame, too, because it was one of the best handheld titles of 2005, and the best game New Zealand has ever produced.

 

Norway – The Longest Journey

Point and Click Adventure games are experiencing something of a renaissance, and a lot of the credit for that goes to The Longest Journey.  Developed by the Oslo-based Funcom, The Longest Journey helped redefine the way video games tell stories, and also provided hours of challenging puzzles and lush, beautifully rendered environments.  Its sequel, Dreamfall: The Last Journey, is almost as good as the original, but TLJ was the one that practically defibrillated a once-great gaming genre.

 

Poland – Call of Juarez

I always thought that the romanticized vision of the American west in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries was a purely American phenomenon.  Apparently, though, the concept of the cowboy is one that strikes a chord with people of all races, cultures, and nationalities.  That explains why Call of Juarez, a Western FPS, was developed by Techland, a developer who operates out of Wroclaw, Poland.  It wasn’t without its bugs and glitches, but before Red Dead Redemption, Call of Juarez was probably the best Western game ever released, complete with an excellent spaghetti-Western soundtrack, and a classic tale of vengeance and violence in the old west.

 

Romania – Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X.

Romania is known for two things; Vlad the Impaler, and not being known for anything.  After producing the first Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X., and continuing work on its sequel, perhaps they should be known for that, too.  Many gamers disliked H.A.W.X.’s external dogfight camera, but the game’s satellite mapping and co-op gameplay won over most flight combat fans.  H.A.W.X. 2 is primed to take over Romania’s #1 spot once it arrives in September.

 

Russia/USSR – Tetris

Undoubtedly the most influential, recognizable, and beloved title on this list, Tetris is easily the best game to ever come out of Russia or the Soviet Union.  Way back in 1984, Alexey Pajitnov, under the auspices of the Soviet Academy of Science, created an extremely simple, but utterly addictive puzzle game called Tetris.  Since it was developed in the USSR, all the game’s profits went to the Soviet government, and Pajitnov wouldn’t see a dime from the millions of copies of Tetris that would sell until years later.  Eventually, Pajitnov ended up being well-compensated for his creation, and even went on to create another puzzle classic, Hexic, bringing some semblance of justice to the creator of one of the most famous and brilliant games ever conceived.

 

Spain – Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines

Pyro Studios is by no means a household name.  The developer, based out of Madrid, is allegedly still working on an unnamed Wii adventure title, but hasn’t put out a game since 2006.  Back in the 1990s, though, Pyro was a lot more active, and relevant, thanks to the Commandos series, a WWII strategy title with an isometric, overhead view.  The series went on to stretch itself a bit too thin, and 2006’s Commandos: Strike Force, an uninspired FPS, essentially marked the death knell for the franchise, but the first game is still remembered as one of the best strategy titles of its time.

 

Sweden – The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

Sweden is one of the gaming industry’s new hotbeds of development, with major studios like Avalanche and Grin setting up shop within its borders.  The country’s pride and joy, however, is Starbreeze, developers of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.  When the Vin Diesel-helmed first-person action game hit shelves in 2004, it looked better and played better than just about any first-person title we’d ever seen.  No one thought that hand-to-hand combat could be pulled off from the first-person perspective, but Riddick found the sweet spot, immersing players in the dark sci-fi world that Pitch Black introduced. 

 

Turkey – Dual Blades

The Turks, like so many countries on this list, aren’t exactly “old-hat” at making games, but the few games they have developed are surprisingly diverse.  There’s the Culpa Innata series of point-and-click adventures, the Mount&Blade series of RPGs, the Darkness Within series of horror adventure games, and the hilariously named I Can Football, a PC soccer game.  The only Turkish game to make a splash in international markets, though, is Dual Blades, a 2D fighter fro the Game Boy Advance.  The game doesn’t look particularly good, but it plays well, and its “power combining system” allowed players to create their own fighting styles. 

 

Ukraine – Metro 2033

As a breakaway republic of the former Soviet Union, the Ukraine enjoys technological resources and expertise that other countries would kill for.  As a result, the Ukrainian game industry is pretty robust, with several successful franchises originating there.  Their newest offering, 4A Games’ Metro 2033, is probably their best effort to date.  The shooting action is responsive and satisfying, the environments are lush and detailed, and the gme’s horror aspects manage to deliver some real scares.

 

United Kingdom – Grand Theft Auto IV

If the US and Japan are the “Big Two” of game development, then the UK is the third wheel.  With well over 1,000 major release titles originating in the UK, they’re easily the third biggest producer of games.  Among their countless creations, Grand Theft Auto IV stands above the rest.  All of the GTA games, in fact, have been developed in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and while Vice City held a certain charm, and San Andreas featured more customization options, the tale of Niko Bellic trumps every other iteration in terms of story, characters, humor, and gameplay.