Why Is Stonemaier So Succesful?

I’ve long been a fan of Stonemaier games, and so have many of my friends and family members. So often I’ll ask other board game aficionados which developer and publisher they like the most, and consistently the folks at Stonemaier are at the top, or at least near the top, of that list. So it made me wonder – why is Stonemaier so successful. I chalk it up to a few key points, all of which have created one of the best board game teams of the last decade.

Continues Hits

While they might not release as many games as Asmodee, Czech Games, or Alderac Entertainment Group, the one thing you can always count on with Stonemaier titles is their commitment to quality. Not just in the parts that are included in the game – because frankly any company could do this if they wanted to – but in the quality of the games. Stonemaier has for a long time catered to more hardcore board game players, although games like Wingspan do scale well to new board game players. But this company doesn’t ‘cheapen’ their product with lackluster releases, or flashy one-hit-wonders. Everything they launch is thought out, expansive, detailed, and frankly just fun to play. No cheap cards games for a few bucks, no gimmicky boxes that look good on a shelf but are empty inside. They only produce quality content, content you are willing to pay for because of how damn good it is.

Quality Products

Releasing good games is paramount to success, and while I previously mentioned that other companies could also put out games with good components, the reality is…they aren’t. Stonemaier is, and doing it again and again. The eggs you get in Wingspan are outstanding, as are the dice. The buildings in Tapestry come pre-painted, and made of rubbery product that holds up well over time. The wooden pieces in Euphoria – review soon by the way – are beautifully detailed. And all the cards, no matter what game you get, have a beautiful linen finish. You pay a premium price, but you are NEVER disappointed.

Sontemaier also isn’t afraid to improve their products when possible. Many of the expansions Stonemaier releases for their popular games are a) priced incredibly well, and b) include updated features and better pieces that will enhance your main game. Euphoria is a great example. In the original release, there were only so many little resource pieces, and if the supply ran out, you could use a little cardboard sheet to show that you had  three of something, even if you only had 1 on the board in the ‘x3’ spot. With the expansion, Stonemaier added in larger resource tiles that represent multiple of the original smaller titles, making the game a bit more user friendly based on customer feedback. Phenomenal.

An Active Face of the Company

Having an active face of the company is very important, and when I say active I really mean approachable. Jamey is by far the greatest creator I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. There is no PR company you need to work through, or stupid online forms. As someone in media, I can sit at my computer, type an email to Jamey, and know he’ll give me a detailed and personal response within a short time frame. When Tapestry launched, I remember asking him why the company chose to go with pre-painted figures as opposed to plain pieces, or even, tiles. The response I got wasn’t just a one-liner I could drop in my article I was writing at the time. It was a detail response which broke down his philosophy for releasing games at a certain quality. I was astounded at the timely reply, and more astounded by the detailed response. That just rarely happens anymore with large, board game publishing companies.

It’s not hard to like Stonemaier Games, and when you really like a company, you really like their products. Right now, and Stonemaier release is an instant buy in my opinion. For me, the company could just release a title and a preorder link and I’d click and buy instantly. Their games are just that good.