Minecraft, Candy Crush and Goat Simulator among games that represent Sweden's cultural heritage

Sweden's games trade body Dataspelsbranschen has revealed its Game Culture Canon which aims to highlight the cultural significance of games as forms of art and expression.

Sweden's Game Culture Canon is comprised of 15 games that have "deep significance in Swedish culture", as selected by a jury of industry leaders, historians, and academics after hundreds of titles were nominated by the public.

The Games Culture Canon was developed as part of Sweden's minister for culture Parisa Liljestrand's plans to develop an official culture canon for the country last December.

The games selected include Minecraft, Candy Crush, Goat Simulator, The Battle of Polytopia and It Takes Two.

GamesIndustry.biz spoke with the heads of Midjiwan and Hazelight alongside Dataspelsbranschen in May about the rapid growth of the Swedish games industry.

"Games should be recognised as culture for several reasons," said Dataspelsbranschen's spokesperson Per Strömbäck.

"Games are culture to the players, who relate to them in similar ways as audiences in other artforms. [The same goes for] game developers who have the same drivers as other creators: the will to express, create something new and communicate with their audience. Games [also] reflect the world we live in and have a rich history which is now being recognised by museums and other institutions.

"For these reasons, we think it is fitting that games have a canon, too."

The full list of Sweden's Games Culture Canon can be found below.

• Amnesia – The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
• BackPacker (Tati Mixedia)
• Battlefield 1942 (DICE)
• The Battle of Polytopia (Midjiwan)
• Budget Cuts (Neat Corporation)
• Candy Crush Saga (King)
• Europa Universalis (Paradox Interactive)
• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios)
• Goat Simulator (Coffee Stain Studios)
• Ground Control (Massive Entertainment)
• Minecraft (Mojang)
• Sayonara Wildhearts (Simogo)
• Star Stable Online (Star Stable Entertainment)
• Stugan (Kimmo Eriksson, Viggo Kann, Olle E Johansson)
• Toca Tea Party (Toca Boca)