Stardock

Stardock is a privately held American developer and publisher spanning PC strategy games and Windows desktop software. Founded by Brad Wardell in 1991, the company began with software and games for IBM’s OS/2 platform, including the original Galactic Civilizations and the Object Desktop shell utility, before pivoting to Microsoft Windows in the late 1990s.

Its business combines two established areas of work: consumer and enterprise desktop utilities, and internally developed or published PC games. On the software side, Stardock develops Windows personalization, interface, and productivity products including Fences, Start11, WindowBlinds, Groupy, Multiplicity, DeskScapes, and Object Desktop. These products cover desktop organization, Start menu and taskbar customization, interface theming, window grouping, and multi-PC workstation control. The company also operates community-focused customization platforms such as WinCustomize.

Games and publishing

Through Stardock Entertainment, the group develops and publishes strategy-focused games across 4X, fantasy, political simulation, and real-time strategy. Its internal franchises include Galactic Civilizations, The Political Machine, Elemental, Sorcerer King, and Star Control: Origins.

The company has also worked with independent development partners on published and co-developed projects. These include the Sins of a Solar Empire series with Ironclad Games, Ashes of the Singularity with Oxide Games, and the published title Offworld Trading Company from Mohawk Games. Stardock was an early participant in digital PC distribution through its Impulse platform, which it sold to GameStop in 2011.

Current focus

Stardock continues to build PC software and games while supporting commercial licensing and enterprise deployment for its utility products. In 2026, its software division expanded into local AI-oriented productivity workflows with the Clairvoyance suite, developed in partnership with Qualcomm. The company’s work remains centered on Windows software customization, productivity tooling, and strategy-led interactive entertainment.