independent board-game publisher

Stonemaier Games

An independent board-game publisher known for Wingspan, Scythe, Viticulture, and other hobby games, with public stakeholder reports and direct community engagement. Stonemaier Games scores well because the model leaves more value with stakeholders and it bears more of the costs created by its work, though ecological harm and ideological disavowal still limits the evaluation.

Why this matters: Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but ownership and governance are not democratically locked.

Letter grade B Qualified Medium confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Last reviewed May 7, 2026

Final Score 47* B - Qualified

BQUALIFIED47 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material44

Bonus+5

Cap66No structure cap

After Cap49

Penalties-2

!Not Verified

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Evaluation Overview

B - Qualified

The score turns mainly on Extraction, with the largest penalty coming from Ecological Harm.

Strengths

Extraction7/10
Loss-Bearing Fidelity6/7
Governance5/10

Penalties

Ecological Harm-1
Ideological Disavowal-1

Evidence state

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims7
Direct axis claims6
Coverage6/13

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	4 / 10	Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. That places Stonemaier Games in the middle of Ownership: there is some mission, member, producer, or public-interest constraint, but decisive control is not fully democratic. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. [1] context Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. [2] context Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [3]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	5 / 10	Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. That places Stonemaier Games in the middle of Governance: there are accountability mechanisms, but they stop short of broad democratic control. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. [1] context Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. [2] context Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [3]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	7 / 10	Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. That places Stonemaier Games in the middle of Extraction: the institution creates real value but still leaves room for rent extraction, unequal bargaining, or surplus capture. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. [1] context Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. [2] context Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [3]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	3 / 7	Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. That places Stonemaier Games in the middle of Labor Sovereignty: workers or participants have some protection or agency, but not enough binding power to control the relationship. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. [1] context Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. [2] context Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [3]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	4 / 7	Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. That places Stonemaier Games in the middle of Solidarity with the Unemployed: some access, severance, retraining, openness, or mutual-aid value is present, but it is not central or durable. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. [1] context Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. [2] context Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [3]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	6 / 7	Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. [1] context Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. [2] context Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [3]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	5 / 5	Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. That places Stonemaier Games high on Market Conduct: pricing, access, switching, and bargaining practices show restraint compared with ordinary rent-seeking competitors. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. [1] context Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. [2] context Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [3]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	5 / 5	Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. That places Stonemaier Games high on Product Integrity: the core offering is genuinely useful and comparatively less dependent on traps, degradation, or harmful dependencies. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. [1] Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. [2] context Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [3]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	5 / 5	Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure. [1] context Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value. [2] context Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [3]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Ecological Harm ? Footprint, trajectory, irreversibility, culpability, and scale, including whether ecological harm is central to the model and continued after credible notice. Range: -30 to 0.	-1	Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. That warrants a limited Ecological Harm penalty because the institution causes or defends ecological damage that is more than incidental to the model. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [6]
Ideological Disavowal ? Concealed ideology presented as neutrality, expertise, professional necessity, public-service administration, market inevitability, or non-ideological common sense while exercising power. Range: -3 to 0.	-1	Stonemaier Games's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Stonemaier Games shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through… Stonemaier Games's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Stonemaier Games shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of. That warrants a limited Ideological Disavowal penalty because the institution presents situated, contested choices as neutrality, expertise, inevitability, safety, or common sense. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Ideological Disavowal 0 to -3 recalibration: 0 for explicit standpoint or no penalty-level neutrality theater; -1 for bounded softening of contested choices; -2 for strong neutrality theater by a powerful institution; -3 for major gatekeeping or coercive power presented as neutral, necessary, objective, or non-ideological. Uncertainty This recalibration uses public self-presentation and profile evidence; later review should add direct language-analysis evidence for high-impact institutions. Linked evidence Stonemaier Games's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Stonemaier Games shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint. [7]

Bonus Credits

Bonus	Credit	Why this credit
Good Deal ? Credit for unusually fair value: durable quality, fair pricing, low lock-in, and clear customer surplus.	2 / 3	Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. That supports partial Good Deal credit because ordinary users receive unusually fair value, durability, access, or surplus. The value remains partial because the linked record does not show the practice as comprehensive, durable, or central enough for full credit. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [4]
Cost Transparency ? Credit for clear posted prices, all-in fees, unit costs, public rate cards, margin/cost visibility, or surplus-allocation transparency, especially in markets where opaque quotes, hidden fees, or individualized pricing are normal.	3 / 3	Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. That supports full Cost Transparency credit because pricing, margins, fees, funding, or surplus allocation are made meaningfully legible. Full credit is reserved for unusually clear, profile-specific evidence rather than ordinary compliance language. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Board-game and good-video-game follow-up; compare against The Game Crafter, Stonemaier, Leder, Supergiant, Larian, major publishers, and Asmodee-owned studios. Uncertainty Focused follow-up; later review should add more labor, supply-chain, financial, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership. [5]

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

Medium 65/100

7 verified linked claims 6 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 6/13 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 13/20

7 verified linked claims

Source quality 12/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 6/18

6 direct claims across 13 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 5/10

6/13 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

Company responseCompany representatives can submit source-backed corrections; payment never changes scores or reviewer authority.

Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1Stonemaier Games has private company control rather than a verified worker/user democratic structure.

Ownership Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Stonemaier Games aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
Stonemaier Games annual stakeholder reportsGeneral web source · 58%

2Stonemaier Games publishes or sells recognized board or video games with real play, craft, or hobby value.

Product Integrity Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Stonemaier Games aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
Stonemaier Games annual stakeholder reportsGeneral web source · 58%

3Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership.

Calculation Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Stonemaier Games aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
Stonemaier Games annual stakeholder reportsGeneral web source · 58%

4Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership.

Good Deal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Stonemaier Games aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
Stonemaier Games annual stakeholder reportsGeneral web source · 58%

5Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership.

Cost Transparency Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Stonemaier Games aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
Stonemaier Games annual stakeholder reportsGeneral web source · 58%

6Stonemaier is a B-level board-game anchor: strong product integrity, direct customer/community accountability, and unusual transparency for a private publisher, but not democratic ownership.

Ecological Harm Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Stonemaier Games aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
Stonemaier Games annual stakeholder reportsGeneral web source · 58%

7Stonemaier Games's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Stonemaier Games shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint.

Ideological Disavowal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 9, 2026

AI scaffold

Stonemaier Games official siteGeneral web source · 58%
Stonemaier Games aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
Stonemaier Games annual stakeholder reportsGeneral web source · 58%

Alternatives

Competitors

AGOOD63 Future Club employee-owned cooperative game studio · same market AGOOD63 KO_OP worker-owned game studio · same market AGOOD63 Motion Twin worker cooperative game studio · same market AGOOD61 Means Interactive cooperative game publisher · same market AGOOD56 Stocksy United artist cooperative platform · same market AGOOD52 itch.io independent game marketplace · same market AGOOD50 The Game Crafter independent tabletop game manufacturing marketplace · same market BQUALIFIED48 ConcernedApe independent game developer and publisher · same market

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