The game industry finally has a classification standard
GPCS replaces vague labels like “indie” with a structured, verifiable classification — so anyone can see exactly what's behind a game project: who built it, what's backing it, and how independently it operates.
Open standard · CC BY 4.0 · v0.6 pilot via Unity Awards
GPC Capacity Rating
Partial Independence
gpcstandard.org • Unverified self-assessment
Watch the Overview
The methodology explained in under 10 minutes
An audio overview generated from the GPCS white paper — the full framework without reading 20 pages.
Seven Capacity Tiers
From solo passion project to global powerhouse
Each tier reflects a distinct level of production capacity and resource backing — not quality, not genre, not commercial ambition.
C
B
BB
BBB
A
AA
AAA
A C-rated game can win Game of the Year. An AAA-rated project can flop. Capacity is not destiny.
The Problem
The labels everyone uses are broken
“Indie.” “AA.” “Triple-A.” These terms are used everywhere but defined nowhere — leaving awards bodies, grant programmes, and platforms without a neutral basis for the decisions they make every day.
"Indie" means nothing
A solo dev and a 40-person studio with publisher backing both get called "indie." That ambiguity drives unfair competition in awards, showcases, and grant programmes — and everyone in the industry knows it.
Awards pit mismatched teams
Categories designed for small studios are regularly dominated by well-resourced projects. Without a shared classification, organisers have no neutral standard to structure competition fairly.
Grants can't define eligibility
Funding programmes can't draw a clean line between "independent" and "publisher-backed" — so they write vague criteria, and vague criteria get gamed. GPCS gives them something concrete to point to.
The Output
One rating. The full picture.
A GPC rating like A / I1 — Verified tells you three things at once: the studio's production capacity (A), how independently it operates (I1 — publisher-backed but IP retained), and the evidence standard behind the claim (Verified — publicly checked).
- ›Capacity tier — seven levels from C (solo) to AAA (major studio)
- ›Independence marker — who owns IP and controls creative direction
- ›Verification level — from self-reported to third-party audited
Solo dev, self-published, owns all IP
Stardew Valley, Undertale
Small team, publisher marketing deal, dev retains IP
Most mid-tier indie titles
30–80 staff, publisher-funded, dev retains creative control
"AA" prestige releases
200+ staff, first-party or subsidiary, full publisher control
God of War, Halo
The Process
Structured. Transparent. Takes 10 minutes.
Describe your project
15 questions about your studio, funding, IP ownership, and creative control. No subjective self-assessment — just structure.
Sources are weighed
Studio capacity (55%), publisher or funder (35%), and other sources (10%) are scored and combined — with constraints that prevent gaming the system.
Receive your classification
A code like "A / I1 — Unverified — v0.6" gives a complete, readable snapshot. Upgrade to Verified or Audited for formal recognition.
Who It's For
Built for the institutions that shape the industry
GPCS is a tool for anyone making structural decisions about game projects — not a marketing label, not a prestige signal.
Awards Bodies
Replace vague "indie" categories with capacity-tiered competition: Best C/B, Best BB/BBB, Best A and above. Fair by design.
Grant Programmes
Set auditable eligibility: "C/B/BB studios only" or "Ineligible: A+ publisher backing." Transparent criteria that hold up to scrutiny.
Platforms & Publishers
Segment incoming projects for differentiated support tiers. Spot smaller studios whose output outpaces their rating and route them to the right programme.
Where does your project sit?
The classification form takes about 10 minutes. Your result is an Unverified self-assessment — a starting point for a formally recognised GPC rating.
Classify Your ProjectFree, anonymous, no account required.