Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Decision Space
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What Makes Games Beautiful? A Conversation with Frank Lantz | 04 nov. 2026 | 01:19:17 | |
Episode 290- The Beauty of Games with Frank Lantz Brendan chats in this episode with game designer and professor Frank Lantz. They talk about his book The Beauty of Games and also dig into taste, expression, depth and donkey space. https://franklantz.substack.com/ Time Stamps 1:50- games as an aesthetic form 13:00- games as a search for truth 25:30- about taste 33:45- expressive play and donkey space 54:00- insights and meaning from games 1:02:00- what is depth?
Preplanners Next week we talk about game development with Jamey Stegmaier.
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Shinzawathon! Ranking Every Game From the Master of Trick-Taking with Taylor Reiner | 28 oct. 2026 | 01:53:17 | |
Episode 289- Shinzawathon Pete and Paul create a tier list for every game designed by Taiki Shinzawa. They are joined by trick-taking expert Taylor Reiner, which is good because one of these games has only one total rating on BGG and it is from Taylor himself. That's how serious this guy is. Time Stamps 18:00- early games 20:15- Maskmen 26:30- Charms 34:30- Luz 40:15- 9 Lives 44:30- Players Play 47:25- Ghosts of Christmas 49:00- Inflation! 52:15- American Bookshop 57:00- Cinderella's Dance 59:00- Planet etuC 1:01:00- Trick to the Future 1:07:00- Big Top 1:13:00- Combo Trax 1:14:15- Pin Combi Trio 1:16:30- Fives 1:21:00- Shihou Dealer 1:22:00- No Loose Ends 1:27:45- 6 Forces 1:29:30- Quattro Trick-Taking 1:32:00- Quashars 1:34:00- Dodicitre 1:35:30- Can't Win 1:42:40- Octopus Order
Preplanners Next week is a interview with NYU's Frank Lantz, the guy who coined the phrase "Donkey Space"!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Modern Art: A Classic That Continues to Appreciate in Value | 21 oct. 2026 | 01:16:21 | |
Episode 288- Modern Art An old school deep dive of an old school game! Pete and Brendan examine Knizia's classic auction game Modern Art and discuss what makes this game so thematic and thrilling over thirty years later.
Link to the 5 of a Kind kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boardgametables/through-the-mountains-through-the-desert-deluxe-more Link to Pete's 5 of a Kind design diary: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boardgametables/through-the-mountains-through-the-desert-deluxe-more
Preplanners Next week is a countdown of the best games by Taiki Shinzawa!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Medina and More: Fresh Hot Impressions of Dusty Old Games | 14 oct. 2026 | 01:31:04 | |
Episode 287- Playing OGs Together All four hosts are together for a discussion of the Old School games they played together during Brendan's visit to St. Louis. That Stefan Dorra... so hot right now...
Time Stamps 4:50- BattleCON: War of Indines 17:00- Hellas 30:00- Big Shot 48:15- Witch's Brew 1:03:00- Medina
Preplanners Next week is a deep dive of Modern Art and after that we'll be making a tier list of the best games by Taiki Shinzawa
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Cole Wehrle on His Love of Economic Games and How They Inspired An Infamous Traffic | 07 oct. 2026 | 01:44:16 | |
Episode 286- Cole Wehrle on Economic Games and An Infamous Traffic Pete chats with Cole Wehrle about his history with economic games like Container and how these nasty designs inspired An Infamous Traffic, which currently has a second edition in development for Wehrlegig Games.
An Infamous Traffic on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/colewehrle/an-infamous-traffic-second-edition Cole's design diaries: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/475323/an-infamous-traffic-second-edition/forums/0 Time Stamps 3:10- economic games 27:15- Container 50:30- An Infamous Traffic
Games Mentioned Modern Art, The Estates, 1817, Indonesia, Reef Encounter, Automobile, Neuland, Nippon: Zaibatsu, Sol: Last Days of a Star, Container, An Infamous Traffic, Brass, John Company
Preplanners Next week we'll talk about games we played together as a group while Brendan was in town!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Our Designs in Development: Report from a Prototype Convention | 30 sept. 2026 | 01:24:32 | |
Episode 285- Stonemaier Design Day 2026 All four hosts are together to share their experiences of hanging out together IN PERSON for Stonemaier Design Day. Paul talks about games he's working on for GameHead and Pete, Jake, and Brendan discuss the games they brought to showcase at the event.
Time Stamps 6:00- GameHead playtesting 23:00- about Stonemaier Design Day 29:45- Franchise Wars (Pete and Brendan's game) 41:30- Kiuic (Jake's game) 52:15- Among Mortals (Brendan's game) 1:06:00- Teacher's Pest (Jake's game) 1:12:15- other prototypes we played
Preplanners Next week is the return of a special guest!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Lane Battlers: How Schotten Totten Created a Genre | 23 sept. 2026 | 01:22:52 | |
Episode 284- Schotten Totten and Lane Battlers Pete and Brendan explore the card game genre known as lane battlers and deep dive the 1999 Knizia Classic Schotten Totten that gave birth to these dueling games. Time Stamps 5:15- what is a lane battler? 10:00- Schotten Totten deep dive 44:30- other lane battlers
Games Mentioned Battle Line, Lost Cities, Hanamikoji, Radlands, Riftforce, Air Land and Sea, Marvel Snap, Compile, Toy Battle, Brawl, Omen Reign of War, The Old King's Crown, Dracula vs Van Helsing
Preplanners The hosts will be talking about their first 4 host meetup and Stonemaier Design day next week!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Our Favorite Splotter? Indonesia Roundtable Merge-a-Palooza | 16 sept. 2026 | 01:32:56 | |
Episode 283- Indonesia Pete is joined by Arnie, Jared and Luke to discuss Splotter's 2005 economic masterpiece Indonesia. These 4 have played the game sixteen times together this year and have learned a lot. Listen to their tales of business blunder and triumph! Arnie's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@analog_arnie Luke's Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/off-board-podcast/ Jared has nothing going on worth sharing.
Preplanners Deep dive on Schotten Totten and an exploration of Lane Battlers is coming up next.
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| The Games of Gen Con 2026: Greylune, Jibber Jabble, Buttonville and More | 09 sept. 2026 | 01:27:25 | |
Episode 282- Gen Con Impressions Pete and Paul recap their Gen Con experience and give quick impressions of games they picked up there! Time Stamps 13:15- Trick to the Future 16:15- Jibber Jabble 20:30- Jusayo 24:30- Stonk Market 29:00- The Glorious Guilds of Buttonville 35:30- Soundwave Length 39:00- Grandma I'm Hungry 44:15- Sushi Go Chef's Party 48:00- Brave and Bold Bag Building Combat Game 52:15- Looney Tunes Hunting Wabbits 54:30- Realm of Reckoning 59:15- Big Shot 1:05:30- Bordeaux 1:10:15- Woo 1:12:15- Greylune 1:18:30- Moustache
Preplanners Deep dive roundtable discussion of Indonesia is coming up next week!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| New Editions of Old Games and the Brilliance of Libertalia | 02 sept. 2026 | 01:12:30 | |
Episode 281- Libertalia and Reimplementations Paul, Brendan, and Pete discuss the benefits and potential pitfalls of making new editions of old games. Then they deep dive Paolo Mori's 2012 classic Libertalia and the excellent update from Stonemaier Games in 2022's Winds of Galecrest.
Time Stamps 2:40- second editions and reimplementations 22:00- Libertalia deep dive
Preplanners Pete and Paul are going to chat about fresh plays of Gen Con hotness!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Design Disagreements, Dream Games, and Other Listener Questions | 26 août 2026 | 01:21:35 | |
Episode 280- Listener Questions We open the mail bag to answer a bunch of questions from the Decision Space community!
Time Stamps 2:15- who would win? 4:50- what is a YOU game? 9:00- design choice you disagree with 18:00- design choice you love 23:20- games for roommates 27:30- games you wish existed 34:30- bad games we like 40:00- who you want to play a game with 44:30- spoiler strategies 50:00- emotional responses to games 53:00- how our tastes have changed 56:30- where do you see the pod in 5 years? 1:00:30- game night pick 1:02:45- deep dive redo 1:05:30- time for games 1:09:00- state of the hobby 1:13:15- superlatives 1:14:15- has the podcast changed you as a gamer? 1:16:45- host disagreements 1:18:00- dueling game advice
Preplanners We have a deep dive of Paolo Mori's Libertalia coming up!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Sandbox Objectives and Frosted Blooms | 19 août 2026 | 01:12:32 | |
Episode 279- Sandbox Objectives and Frosted Blooms This week Brendan tries to convince his co-hosts that "sandbox objectives" and "point salad" are not not the same thing. Jake isn't convinced. Also the gang deep dives the new polyomino game Frosted Blooms, designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc. Time Stamps 3:20- sandbox objective systems 30:00- Frosted Blooms deep dive
Preplanners Next week is listener questions! Send them to us via email or join our Discord!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| The Questions Games Ask (What We Talk About) | 12 août 2026 | 01:17:33 | |
Episode 278- Who, What, When, Where, Why, How? That types of questions do games ask us as players? When should I score? Who can I trust? Why did they do that? How should I sequence this? This week we dig into what the central questions are in different games and think about how this can help us as players and designers. Time Stamps4:30- Who? 18:00- What? 26:00- When? 34:00- Where? 42:00- Why? 54:00- How?
Games Mentioned Magic the Gathering, The Resistance, Root, Castles of Burgundy, A Feast for Odin, Tag Team, Bus, Dominion, Medina, Ra, El Grande, Star Wars Rebellion, The Crew, Root, Zoo Vadis, Tikal, Bus Preplanners Email us or join our discord to submit questions for a future episode! Also we'll be doing a deep dive on Frosted Blooms soon!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Deckbuilding 301: How Slay the Spire Expands Tabletop Design | 05 août 2026 | 01:47:01 | |
Episode 277- Deckbuilding 301 and Slay the Spire Trick-taking wiz Taylor Reiner joins Pete, Jake, and Brendan to take the next step on our deckbuilding exploration. This time we're going digital! How do games like Balatro and Slay the Spire build on physical games and where do they diverge? Also how are we seeing the reverse influence on tabletop games? Check out Taylor's amazing Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ClaudeAndTaylor Time Stamps 4:00- introduce Taylor Reiner 9:30- digital card games 21:30- deckbuilding roguelikes 46:45- Slay the Spire 1:26:15- Balatro 1:32:00- digital games inspiring tabletop design
Preplanners I actually don't know what the next episode will be about!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| An Infamous Traffic, Virgin Queen, John Company Megagame and More: Report from a Historical Game Convention | 29 juil. 2026 | 01:35:41 | |
Episode 276- SD HistCon North 2026 Pete is joined by Cardner Babakitis of Odd Candy Games and Buried Giant Studios. They discuss the historical games they played at the inaugural SD HistCon North. Check out Cardner's games here: https://www.oddcandygames.com/ Time Stamps 15:00- Hellraisers in Kanawha County 19:30- An Infamous Traffic 2nd Edition 27:30- Baltic Empires 33:00- Penitent 42:00- Nicaea 49:00- John Company megagame 1:01:50- Oath with New Foundations 1:08:05- Muddy Buddies 1:09:15- Virgin Queen 1:23:00- Big Shot
Preplanners The next episode is Deckbuilding 301 which focuses on the relationship of Slay the Spire to tabletop games!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Inside the Deck: Digging Deep on Suits, Numbers, and Design | 22 juil. 2026 | 01:27:34 | |
Episode 275- Inside the Deck This week Jake, Paul, and Brendan explore the different deck structures of card games. Things get mathy in this design focused discussion about how combinations of suits and numbers create different decision spaces in games. Time Stamps 2:00- Air Land and Sea 13:00- The Fox in the Forest 21:45- Jekyll vs Hyde 27:45- Dracula vs Van Helsing 34:30- Coloretto 42:00- Pet Quartet 45:00- Flip 7 50:00- The Mind 55:00- No Thanks 1:01:30- Arboretum 1:09:30- Lost Cities 1:14:00- Schotten Totten 1:16:15- Scout and dnup
Preplanners Up next is a recap from a historical game convention.
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Showdown of the Best Board Games From the Golden Age of 2010-2014 | 15 juil. 2026 | 01:09:40 | |
Episode 274- 2010-2014 Showdown All four hosts are together to play a game as a way to choose a consensus list of the best board games from the early 2010's. The format here is from April Mitchell's This/That Showdown: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/463458/thisthat-showdown Games Mentioned BattleCon, Keyflower, The Resistance Avalon, The Castles of Burgundy, The Great Zimbabwe, Trajan, Charms, Haggis, Hanabi, Glen More, Hanamikoji, Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Patchwork, Linko, Troyes, Libertalia
Preplanners Up next is a discussion of deck design and a recap from a historical game convention.
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| dnup, Scout, and Iterative Game Design | 08 juil. 2026 | 01:11:58 | |
Episode 273- dnup and Iterative Game Design In this episode we talk about iterative game design. Why do designers go back to ideas they've already explored? On that note, we also discuss the new hotness dnup and how designer Kai Kajino built it upon the foundation of his modern classic hit Scout. Timestamps 3:30- iterative design 32:20- Scout 46:00- dnup
Preplanners We have another decade draft coming up soon!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| The Old Kings Crown Rewards Player Expression and Obsession | 01 juil. 2026 | 01:48:23 | |
Episode 272- The Old King's Crown Pete is joined by Jaffles ( https://www.youtube.com/@Jaffles-gaming ) to do a deep dive of the hottest game from last year: The Old King's Crown. They also chat about what types of games inspire players to dig deep and get obsessed.
Timestamps 5:00- why we get obsessed with games 18:15- intro to Old King's Crown 24:00- personal reviews 27:30- exploring the decision space 47:15- spring decisions 56:45- player count considerations 1:10:15- summer and autumn decisions 1:20:00- faction asymmetry 1:39:00- final thoughts
Preplanners We have another decade draft coming up soon!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Playing the Cards You're Dealt: Hand Management (What We Talk About) | 24 juin 2026 | 01:15:27 | |
Episode 271- Hand Management Pete and Brendan dissect one of the most ubiquitous mechanisms in tabletop games: hand management. What kinds of puzzles can a hand of cards present to players and what makes it so timelessly satisfying?
Timestamps 3:00- defining hand management 18:00- why we love hand management 29:00- types of hand management 36:15- trick-taking and ladder climbing 42:45- hand management as a core mechanism 57:30- hand management as a support mechanism
Games Mentioned love letter, dominion, enchanted plumes, concordia, el grande, scout, haggis, fox in the forest, inis, race for the galaxy, arboretum, seer's catalog, hanabi, lost cities, battle line, hanamikoji, fantasy realms, 6nmmt, 7 wonders, twilight struggle, frosted blooms, gloomhaven, modern art, arcs, magic the gathering, keyforge, mind bug
Preplanners Look out for the long awaited deep dive of Old King's Crown!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| The Beauty of Balance: An Interview with Phil Walker-Harding | 17 juin 2026 | 01:32:54 | |
Episode 270- Interview with Phil Walker-Harding Paul sits down for a wonderfully insightful discussion with game designer Phil Walker-Harding. Last week's tier list episode should have you primed to get into this man's head! They discuss game inspiration and how to design in ways that can heal game related trauma.
Timestamps 1:45- how Phil got into design 10:35- design philosophy 25:30- balancing games 36:30- what Phil likes to play 45:00- inspiration from games 54:15- design process 1:06:00- negative experiences games 1:19:30- what's Phil working on?
Preplanners A classic 'what we talk about' on hand management is up next!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| The Definitive Phil Walker Harding Tier List with Chris Yi | 10 juin 2026 | 02:08:54 | |
Episode 269- Phil Walker Harding Tier List Paul gets to rate every game in the prolific catalogue of his favorite designer: Phil Walker Harding. He's joined by Brendan and the Dice Tower's Chris Yi for this monumental task.
Timestamps 8:30- Archaeology the New Expedition 12:00- Dungeon Raiders 15:15- Pack of Heroes 19:00- Sushi Go / Sushi Go Party 28:45- Sushi Roll 34:15- Cacao 41:00- Imhotep / Imhotep the Duel 49:15- Barenpark 54:15- Gizmos 58:15- Gingerbread House 1:00:00- Llamaland 1:02:30- Silver and Gold 1:04:30- Explorers 1:06:00- Tetris 1:08:15- Monolyth 1:11:30- Scribbly Gum 1:12:15- Super Mega Lucky Box 1:14:00- Snakesss 1:15:30- Don't Fall For It 1:17:30- Planted 1:19:15- Pass the Party Food 1:20:15- Dungeons and Dragons Edge of the Realms 1:21:15- My Shelfie 1:23:15- Tanis 1:24:30- Yummy World: Party and Picnic Palace 1:25:45- Busy Beaks 1:27:30- All In Predictions 1:31:15- Tropicalia 1:33:45- Museum Suspects 1:36:15- Cities / Cities USA 1:41:15- Neoville 1:43:00- Cloud City 1:45:45- Misfit Heroes 1:47:30- Spellbook 1:50:00- Adventure Games: The Volcanic Island 1:53:00- Summer Camp 1:55:30- Wombat Poo 1:57:30- Wrath of Fire Mountain 1:59:30- Oh No, Volcano!
Preplanners Soon we will do a tournament of the best games of the early 2010's!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| We Played New Hotness (Dark Pact, Feya's Swamp), Stone Cold Oldies, and All Time Favorites at Geekway to the West! | 03 juin 2026 | 01:25:01 | |
Episode 268- Geekway Convention Plays 2026 Jake and Pete recap the best weekend of the year: Geekway to the West! They discuss their favorite new plays, old favorites, and also give first impressions of some hot new titles.
Timestamps 17:00- Feya's Swamp 21:50- Dark Pact 28:10- Market Fresh 34:40- I'm the Boss 38:45- Auf Teufel Komm Raus 43:00- Lowenherz 51:30- John Company Second Edition 59:00- Broom Service 1:03:30- Oath 1:09:30- Tikal 1:15:30- TRICKTAKERs, Skull Queen, Daytime Minutes 1:18:00- Indonesia 1:19:30- Guards of Atlantis II, El Grande, Big Shot 1:22:00- L'Oaf
Preplanners We've got a tier list episode in the works!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| "I Drink Your Milkshake": Bus and other Shared Infrastructure Games | 27 mai 2026 | 01:17:51 | |
Episode 267- Shared Infrastructure Games and Bus Time to deep dive the new hotness... from 1999. In this episode we do a deep dive on Splotter's first major hit Bus and discuss other shared infrastructure games. Why are we drawn to these crowded, brutal logistics puzzles?
Timestamps
3:00- shared infrastructure games 32:00- Bus deep dive
Other Games Mentioned Barrage, Brass Birmingham, Medina, Keyflower, Food Chain Magnate
Preplanners Geekway to the West 2026 recap is coming soon! Also, Paul is going to take us through a tier list of his favorite designer: Phil Walker Harding!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Agency, Storytelling, and Play: A Conversation with Cole Wehrle | 20 mai 2026 | 01:29:43 | |
Episode 266- Storytelling with Cole Wehrle Big day here for Pete. In this episode he chats one on one with Cole Wehrle from Buried Giant Studios. They talk a lot about player agency, emergent storytelling, and what it's like the make and play long, heavy games.
Timestamps 1:00- how Cole thinks about making games 18:45- storytelling in games 40:00- long heavy games 49:30- agency and fairness 59:20- fun 1:04:30- learning rules 1:14:00- designing historical games
Games Mentioned Oath, Root, Arcs, John Company
Preplanners Next week we are doing a deep dive on Bus!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| What is a Euro Game? (What We Talk About) | 13 mai 2026 | 01:14:23 | |
Episode 265- Euro Games "Euro" has been used as a descriptor for decades and it is inarguable that its meaning has changed over time. On this episode, the hosts try to hash out what the word means today and how that differs from the "old school" design philosophy. Also, the episode ends with an unhinged exploration of what games in the BGG top 100 could conceivably be classified as Euros. (also just a warning, Pete's dog wouldn't shut up during the recording of this)
Timestamps 3:00- defining Euros 12:45- modern vs old school 55:00- categorizing the BGG top 100
Preplanners Next week we are doing a deep dive on Bus!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Our Top 5 Games of All Time (...right now) | 06 mai 2026 | 01:32:39 | |
Episode 264- Top 10 Games of All Time (2026) Part 2 It's the fiiiiiiinal countdown! We gush over how much we love the games that made our top 5 favorite games! Some things have changed this year! There are brand new releases on this list! However, did the new hotness dethrone our old favorites? Timestamps 3:30- Medina 8:15- Big Top 11:00- Indonesia 16:00- Broom Service 19:15- Isle of Skye 21:15- Unlock 26:15- Lord of the Rings Trick-Taking Games 31:30- Babylonia 34:30- Santiago 39:15- Cozy Stickerville 44:55- Old King's Crown 49:15- Root 52:45- El Grande 57:15- The Castles of Mad King Ludwig 1:02:45- Nokosu Dice 1:09:30- Tag Team 1:14:15- Tikal 1:19:30- Ra / Priests of Ra 1:24:10- Root 1:27:30- The Resistance
Preplanners Next week we discuss what the term "Euro game" means today!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Our Top 10 Games of All Time (...right now): Part 1 | 29 avr. 2026 | 01:27:33 | |
Episode 263- Top 10 Games of All Time (2026) Part 1 It's time for the annual countdown of our favorite games! In this episode we count down numbers 10-6. What has fallen from the ranks since last year? What are we hot on right now? Listen and find out! Timestamps 8:55- Fives 12:15- Lunarchitects 16:00- Pax Renaissance 20:00- Chicago Express 23:30- Bus 26:30- Incan Gold 30:10- Modern Art 35:10- Fox in the Forest 38:20- Renature 42:20- Skyrise 46:50- Dune Imperium Uprising 51:20- El Grande 53:30- Lost Cities 58:20- Fromage / Formaggio 1:01:50- Ito 1:05:40- My City 1:09:00- Nokosu Dice 1:13:00- Heat 1:16:20- Arcs 1:21:30- Keyflower
Preplanners Top 5 of all time is next week!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| What Makes Games Deep? A Conversation About Complexity, Luck, and Skill with Jon Perry | 22 avr. 2026 | 01:17:40 | |
Episode 262- Depth, Complexity, and Luck Game designer Jon Perry returns to Decision Space to participate in a discussion about what makes games deep. Are heavy games deeper than light games? Can games with a high luck factor also reward skilled play? Why is there a heavy game bias on BGG?
Check out some of Jon's games: Air Land and Sea, Hot Streak, Spots, and more! Brendan was inspired after this episode to write an article about game depth. Read it here: https://www.decisionspacepodcast.com/articles/going-deep-on-depth-in-games
Timestamps 2:15- game depth and complexity 41:15- high luck, high skill games
Preplanners The next two weeks will be the annual countdown of our top 10 games of all time!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Arcs Strikes Back: Exploring the Blighted Reach with Analog Arnie and Jared Ingersoll | 15 avr. 2026 | 01:28:40 | |
Episode 261- Arcs Blighted Reach Campaign Pete is joined by returning guest Jared Ingersoll and muppet board game critic Analog Arnie to deep dive the Blighted Reach campaign expansion for Arcs. This is the sequel to episode 247 in case you missed our original Arcs deep dive!
Find Analog Arnie here: https://www.youtube.com/@analog_arnie
Timestamps 2:50- intro to Blighted Reach 15:45- act 1 42:45- act 2 59:45- act 3 1:15:30- final thoughts
Preplanners Another returning guest is coming to discuss depth and light games. Also we'll be deep diving Bus soon!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Duel for Cardia and the Value of Gameplay Modules (or the Lack Thereof) | 08 avr. 2026 | 01:15:54 | |
Episode 260- Duel for Cardia Jake and Brendan deep dive yet another dueling game! This time it's 2025's Duel for Cardia. After the review, they discuss gameplay modules and try to decide when they add value to a game and when they just add noise.
Timestamps 3:50- Cardia deep dive 50:00- modular content
Preplanners We are returning to Arcs! Also more special guests!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| 2026 Game Show Spectacular: Achievement Play on Display | 01 avr. 2026 | 01:23:15 | |
Episode 259- April Fool's Game Show Spectacular The only game show that takes place right here, in the space between the episodes of your favorite podcast.
Preplanners We deep dive Cardia next week!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Reports From a Gaming Marathon: Old King's Crown, Blood on the Clocktower, Splotters, and More! | 25 mars 2026 | 01:24:57 | |
Episode 258- Gamer's Ranch 2026 Report Pete and Jake played a ton of games together! New hotness, old beige games, and a big dramatic session of Blood on the Clocktower!
Timestamps 9:45- The Old King's Crown 20:15- Blood on the Clocktower 34:15- Renature 41:30- Medina 48:40- Skyrise 52:15- Here Lies 1:00:30- Indonesia 1:08:15- Gudnak 1:10:15- Keyforge 1:12:15- Mindbug 1:15:45- Moon Colony Bloodbath 1:21:30- El Grande
Preplanners Upcoming deep dives of Bus and Cardia will be in the coming weeks, so get those plays in so you're ready!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Fun Through Frustration? Game Difficulty and Sail | 18 mars 2026 | 01:26:03 | |
Episode 257- Game Difficulty and Sail What makes games difficult and why do we sometimes enjoy that? When does it go too far? Pete and Brendan explore the topic after discussing a very difficult game: the 2 player cooperative trick-taker Sail.
Timestamps 3:50- Sail deep dive 35:30- difficult games discussion
Other Games Mentioned Final Girl, Palaces of Carrera, Pandemic, The Mind, Take Time, The Crew, Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game
Preplanners Upcoming deep dives of Bus and Cardia will be in the coming weeks, so get those plays in so you're ready!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Isle of Skye: an Elegant Masterpiece of Variable Scoring | 11 mars 2026 | 01:21:31 | |
Episode 256- Isle of Skye Jake and Paul deep dive the 2016 Kinnerspiel des Jahres Winner: Isle of Skye. Yo, that was 10 years ago? That's craaaazy! They go deep on the joys of variable scoring, catch up mechanisms, and the cozy vibes of building your own little thing.
Timestamps 4:30- Isle of Skye deep dive
Other Games Mentioned Whispwood, Ohanami, Nimalia, Castles of Mad King Ludwig
Preplanners Next week is a discussion of game difficulty and the 2p trick-taker Sail.
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Is Art a Game? C. Thi Nguyen Answers Our Questions About Philosophy, Process, and Play | 04 mars 2026 | 01:24:55 | |
Episode 255- Art and Games with C. Thi Nguyen Professor C. Thi Nguyen returns to the pod! We discuss process art, getting good, value capture, empathy, and his new book The Score.
Timestamps 2:00- about The Score 10:00- art is a game 18:30- how games affect us 25:00- depth and difficulty 32:30- getting good 45:00- empathy and intimacy 53:00- value capture 1:03:30- process art 1:18:00- closing thoughts
Preplanners Next week is a discussion of Isle of Skye!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Concordia: Pursuit of Perfection | 25 févr. 2026 | 01:25:10 | |
Episode 254- Concordia It's an old school episode in every way! The original Decision Space duo (Brendan and Jake) do a deep dive on a new classic with an old school soul: Mac Gerdts' Concordia! Timestamps 4:20- intro to Concordia 21:00- Concordia deep dive 1:18:00- other Gerdts games
Preplanners Next week is the return of C Thi Nguyen to the podcast and after that we're deep diving Isle of Skye!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Historical Games and Pax Renaissance with Andy Nealen | 18 févr. 2026 | 01:58:06 | |
Episode 253- Historical Games and Pax Renaissance Pete is joined by Andy Nealen, an academic, game maker, and podcaster. Together they explore what makes the historical war games so special but also so niche in the hobby. Also, Pax Renaissance is in both of their top 10 games of all time, so they do a full deep dive on that game. This is a long one, so buckle up! Andy is a co-host on the Secret Lives of Games podcast: https://secretlives.games/ Timestamps 14:30- historical games 26:30- accessibility and chrome 46:15- simulating difficult subjects 57:15- intro to Pax games 1:17:30- Pax Renaissance deep dive 1:48:30- wrapping up Games Mentioned Molly House, John Company 2nd Edition, Twilight Imperium, Here I Stand, Cross Bronx Expressway, Campaign for North Africa, Votes for Women, Nevsky, Imperial Struggle, This Guilty Land, Pax Porfiriana, Pax Pamir 2nd Edition, Pax Transhumanity, Pax Renaissance, Pax Emancipation, Shores of Tripoli, Undaunted Normandy
Preplanners We have a deep dive on Concordia coming up next, and then a returning guest appearance from another academic!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Area Control, Majority, and Conflict (What We Talk About) | 11 févr. 2026 | 01:30:18 | |
Episode 252- Area Control (WWTA) In this "what we talk about" episode, Pete and Brendan try to sort through vocabulary and feelings related to area control and area majority games. Brendan tries to pitch "area conflict" as a new term for the genre. Do you buy that? Listen and find out! Timestamps 3:45- introduction to the genre 15:00- defining mechanisms 29:45- area majority 47:06- area control 1:11:00- the decision space 1:17:00- how conflict makes us feel Games Mentioned Risk, Chess, El Grande, Root, Mission Red Planet, Tammany Hall, Ethnos, Joraku, Calimala, Tikal, Mexica, Babylonia, Samurai, Rebirth, Hanamikoji, War of the Ring, Blood Rage, Arcs, Risk, Scythe, Inis, Game of Thrones the Board Game, Kemet, King of Tokyo, 1960 the Making of a President, Tigris and Euphrates, Hansa Teutonica, Carcassone, Rumble Nation, Star Wars Rebellion
Preplanners Upcoming episodes will include a discussion about incentives, some special guests, and the next course in our deckbuilding series. Also Arcs part two at some point and maybe a deep dive on Concordia?
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| The Shapes of Games: Decision Spaces and Gameplay Arcs | 04 févr. 2026 | 01:20:01 | |
Episode 251- The Shapes of Games In this episode, Pete and Brendan go back to the basics. How should we characterize a decision space? What shapes the arc of a game? Timestamps 5:00- types of decision spaces 36:00- game arcs 1:04:30- other terminology Games Mentioned Keyflower, Decrypto, Viticulture, Wingspan, Vantage, Arcs, Dominion, the Resistance, Root, Codenames, Scout, Pax Pamir, Pax Renaissance, Race for the Galaxy, Spades, El Grande, Chicago Express, Agent Avenue
Preplanners Upcoming episodes will include a discussion about incentives, some special guests, and the next course in our deckbuilding series. Also Arcs part two at some point!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Episode 250: Counting Down the Best of the Rest | 28 janv. 2026 | 01:27:19 | |
Episode 250- Best of the Rest (re upload to fix a file error) All four hosts share their favorite games that have never been covered in the show's extensive 249 episode back catalogue of deep dives and lists! Timestamps 6:30- The King of Frontier 11:05- Star Wars Rivals 16:45- Gravwell 21:10- Bus 28:15- Clans of Caledonia 35:40- Old West Empresario 40:30- Star Wars Rebellion 49:30- Trails of Tucana 54:15- The Princes of Florence 1:03:15- Cartouche 1:09:15- Jekyll vs Hyde 1:16:45- Brass Birmingham
Preplanners We plan on making at least 250 more episodes!!!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Trio, Jungo, and the Joys of Family Gaming with Jason Schneider | 21 janv. 2026 | 01:12:22 | |
Episode 249 - Family Games Paul and Pete are joined by Happy Camper Games founder Jason Schneider to dissect what makes for a great family game experience Timestamps 3:50- mission of Happy Camper 8:45- what is a family game? 20:10- Trio 33:30- game development 40:30- Jungo 52:15- gaming with the family
Preplanners Next up is our 250th extravaganza!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Ra: The Doctor's Greatest Game? | 14 janv. 2026 | 01:29:51 | |
Episode 248 - Ra Jake and Paul deep dive Reiner Knizia's 1999 classic auction game Ra. They dig into the elegant systems and the unique push your luck element. Also, Paul explores the various Ra spin off titles! Timestamps 4:45- Ra overview 12:30- the decision space 40:00- the tiles 1:00:00- expansions and spinoffs
Preplanners Next up is a discussion on what makes a good small box game!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Arcs is Ambitious, Aggravating... and Awesome | 07 janv. 2026 | 01:27:02 | |
Episode 247 - Arcs Pete is joined by Kniziologist and Blighted Reach afficionado Jared Ingersoll to do a deep dive on the hottest game of 2024: Cole Wehrle's Arcs! Timestamps 3:40- Arcs introduction 9:30- rules overview 16:30- personal reviews 23:00- trick-taking system 30:30- actions and resources 36:30- ambitions 46:00- combat 55:30- influencing the court 1:01:30- leaders and lore 1:08:00- player count 1:12:30- frustration points
Preplanners Next up is a deep dive on Ra!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Awarding Our Favorite Decisions in Games from 2025 | 31 déc. 2025 | 01:30:14 | |
Episode 246 - The 2025 Decidies The hosts continue their now TWO year tradition of awarding our bronze, silver, and gold medal decisions of the year. Congrats to all the winners!
Timestamps 11:15- honorable mentions 24:45- Agent Avenue 29:15- Vantage 33:05- Bomb Busters 38:00- Waddle 41:05- Toy Battle 45:15- Old King's Crown 50:50- Formaggio 54:55- Vantage 57:55- Tag Team 1:05:40- Hot Streak 1:11:55- Duel for Cardia 1:18:30- Bid Coin 1:24:00- hopes for 2026 honorable mentions: Bid Coin, Molly House, Bested Another Time, Two Towers Trick-Taking Game, EGO, Formaggio, Fives, Snack Rabbits
Preplanners We have deep dives coming up soon for Ra and Arcs as well as part 3 of our deckbuilding series!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Podcast Year in Review: Reflections and Ranking All the Games! | 17 déc. 2025 | 01:18:52 | |
Episode 245 - Year in Review We look back at the past year, which was full of changes for the show. We also rank all the games we deep dived LIVE together and chart a course for 2026.
Timestamps 4:10- reflections on the past year 21:15- favorite episodes from 2025 27:30- ranking the games we covered in 2025 55:50- what we learned this year 1:00:30- looking ahead to 2026
Preplanners We're taking a week off for Christmas but will return with our awards for the best decisions of 2025!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Our Favorite Video Games of All Time | 10 déc. 2025 | 01:23:24 | |
Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games. Join our active and welcoming Discord community, Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon), or Leave us a review wherever you find this podcast! Episode 244 - Our Favorite Video Games Are we allowed to talk about video games instead of board games? Jake, Brendan, and Pete break down some of their favorite games and examine their decision space and potential connections to tabletop games.
Timestamps 5:00- personal video game histories 19:00- video games vs board games 25:15- Yoshi's Island 31:00- Pokémon Gold and Silver 37:30- Slay the Spire 43:30- Heroes of Might and Magic III 50:30- Gears of War 57:30- Dark Souls / Bloodborne 1:07:10- Pokken Tournament 1:14:00- Super Smash Bros Ultimate 1:17:15- Final Fantasy Tactics
Preplanners End of the year recap is coming up soon!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Entering the Donkey Space: Agent Avenue and Hanamikoji | 03 déc. 2025 | 01:15:12 | |
Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games. Join our active and welcoming Discord community, Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon), or Leave us a review wherever you find this podcast! Episode 243 - Donkey Space: Agent Avenue and Hanamikoji Pete and Brendan go head to head with a pair of "I cut, you choose" games. You know that scene in Princess Bride where the guy is talking himself in and out of which cup of win to drink? It's basically like that.
Timestamps 4:20- defining donkey space 17:30- Unrest 23:15- Agent Avenue 43:45- Hanamikoji
Preplanners Next up is a list of our favorite video games!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| "Get Good?": What Motivates Us To Play Games | 26 nov. 2025 | 01:22:18 | |
Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games. Join our active and welcoming Discord community, Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon), or Leave us a review wherever you find this podcast! Episode 242 - Evaluating Auction Games Ok n00bs, it's time to get good. All four hosts are present to participate in a deep conversation about why we play games and whether getting good at them is a worthwhile endeavor.
There are a lot of references to the work of CT Nguyen, who was interviewed on this podcast way back in episode 67. Check it out
Timestamps 1:45- do you want to get good at games? 9:00- achievement play vs striving play 36:15- why we try to get good 1:08:00- does this connect to game design? 1:18:00- final thoughts
Preplanners Next up is a deep dive on the donkey space of Hanamikoji and Agent Avenue
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||
| Evaluating Auction Games | 19 nov. 2025 | 01:29:33 | |
Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games. Join our active and welcoming Discord community, Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon), or Leave us a review wherever you find this podcast! Episode 241 - Evaluating Auction Games Going once, going twice... Pete, Paul, and Brendan chat about their favorite auction games and how different twists on the concept create unique, interactive decision spaces in games.
Timestamps 05:15- intro to auctions 24:15- Going Going Gone 30:30- Modern Art 34:00- Big Top 36:25- For Sale 43:30- Castles of Mad King Ludwig 47:00- Ra 56:10- QE 1:04:50- Skyrise 1:07:20- The Estates 1:09:30- Chicago Express 1:13:45- Rising Sun 1:15:15- Keyflower 1:20:15- No Thanks 1:24:30- Spyrium
Preplanners Next up is a discussion on getting good!
Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/. Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee! | |||