Stonemaier Streams

I'm not surprised that collectible card games are booming, but I am baffled by them. In nearly every way, random booster packs in CCGs do not serve customers as well as the standard tabletop method of including all cards in the game. https://stonemaiergames.com/random-booster-packs-is-there-any-way-they-serve-customers/

In today's video I'm sharing my favorite non-TCG (trading card game) games that Magic players (and other TCG players) might enjoy. I also talk a little about things that TCGs rarely do (e.g., solo play and cooperative play). https://youtu.be/rGjh5akRwCw

Many crowdfunded games of a similar weight, aesthetic appeal, polish, quality, price, and region-friendly fulfillment--even from less-established publishers with a much smaller reach than Stonemaier Games--have attracted more early-adopter customers than our launches. Why is that? And does it highlight a problem or an asset? https://stonemaiergames.com/can-a-ready-to-ship-launch-ever-capture-the-m...

Join Jamey for Stonemaier Games news, questions, answers, and random discussion topics! https://youtube.com/live/_rZu0-mLBQk

We've had two long-standing pricing practices that often raise questions, so today I thought I'd consolidate both into a post about pricing. One is about why we don't reveal the exact price for new products before they launch on our webstore, and the other is about why we charge full MSRP at conventions. I don't think we are alone among publishers for these practices due to the reasons explained b...

In today's video we have a battle royale of direct-conflict games...and the people who chose them! https://youtu.be/5aH3WgQYxOc

In the early ‘90s, I was fascinated by a magazine called Nintendo Power. It was mostly a strategy guide for Nintendo video games, complete with vibrant visuals showing levels and hidden areas in games like Mario Bros., Zelda, and TMNT. Despite not even owning a Nintendo gaming console, the magazine made me feel like I had access to dozens of hidden worlds. https://stonemaiergames.com/the-stonemaie...

Join Jamey for Stonemaier Games news, questions, answers, and random discussion topics!   https://youtube.com/live/7Y5U936JxnE

I’ll never forget a brief conversation I had with a friend in the game industry around 10 years ago. We were talking about a publisher with 20 employees, and they were looking to hire more people. I asked my friend, “Is having more employees inherently better?” https://stonemaiergames.com/is-growth-good/

Today I'm sharing some great games with key similarities to Namiji, which is designed by Antoine Bauza and now published by Stonemaier Games. https://youtu.be/5ZDZt33NLWc

A few days ago I posted an article with my answers to some of the questions I asked Joe from Allplay and Nick from Bitewing on their podcast (The Bits), and today I’m back with a few more responses. Also, the podcast is now available –check it out to hear their fascinating answers! https://stonemaiergames.com/questions-for-the-bits-my-answers-part-2/

Join Jamey for Stonemaier Games news, questions, answers, and random discussion topics!   https://youtube.com/live/bt8LintWvfI

In today's video, Jamey and Erica discuss their favorite gateway games that are still fun for experienced gamers, including why they exceed in both categories. https://youtu.be/jaF03GuJofo

"Why?" is such a powerful question. So why only ask it once? https://stonemaiergames.com/why-why-why/

Join Jamey and artist Andrew Bosley for Stonemaier Games news, questions, answers, and random discussion topics!   https://youtube.com/live/alzcYkxy0JI

Ranging from our Kickstarter trailer videos from 2012-2015 (featuring me and Alan talking directly to the camera) to polished, animated trailers with voiceovers from 2016-2024, we’ve tried a variety of approaches to the initial video introduction. Starting in 2025, we tried a new method that I’ll discuss today. https://stonemaiergames.com/announcement-trailers-our-current-method-2026/

Today I'm joined by Braided Skies designer Dan Germain to take a behind-the-scenes look at the newest Stonemaier Game, comparing key elements of it to some other games we admire and enjoy. https://youtu.be/uN7Gxui3aG0

https://youtube.com/live/Y5ics9N2Lt8

Some publishers are investing $20,000-$40,000 on prelaunch ads (compared to our prelaunch ad spend of $1,000, which is augmented by organic reach from our YouTube channel, Instagram, Facebook, newsletter, Bluesky, etc). It seems to me that spending $20-$40k prelaunch can dig creators into a deep hole, shifting the focus from serving backers to getting enough backers (that you at least break even)....

In today's video I discuss autobattling games! These are games where you make choices--sometimes involving programming--that set up a series of events/actions over which you have minimal to no control. https://youtu.be/KUzr-o6F0Zg

In regards to several recent crowdfunded games that either relaunched after an initial cancellation or are struggling to move far past their funding goal, I've heard some concerns about trust from potential backers. For example, if a project has a $10,000 funding goal but after the first few days they only have a few hundred backers and $13,000 in funding, is it a mark of dishonesty if they cancel...

https://youtube.com/live/ZueGOyxXlOw

Over the weekend I was playing a game, Takenoko, which I hadn't played in a while. I had a rule question about gardener and panda movement, and I did what I often do if I can't find a question in the rulebook: I pulled out my phone and Googled the question.   https://stonemaiergames.com/how-do-you-ask-rule-questions/

Today I discuss my favorite legacy games--games featuring permanent changes that can't be undone--out of the roughly 25 that I've played. Legacy games often feature unlocks, surprises, and consequences in a campaign format. https://youtu.be/0rc1h6WlOhI

14 years ago today--on September 10, 2012--Viticulture reached its funding goal on Kickstarter. I consider this the official day that Stonemaier Games was born, and I'm so grateful for those original backers for giving birth to that game and this company. I don't have a monumental topic today; rather, I have a few bite-size topics on which I've ruminated recently. I'd love to hear your thoughts ab...