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Pete Wissinger

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Decision Space
Decision SpaceHistorical Games and Pax Renaissance with Andy NealenEpisode 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://eggplant.show/ Timestamps 14:30- historical games 26:30- accessibility and chrome...
2026-02-181h 58Decision Space
Decision SpaceArea Control, Majority, and Conflict (What We Talk About)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, Mis...
2026-02-111h 30Decision Space
Decision SpaceThe Shapes of Games: Decision Spaces and Gameplay ArcsEpisode 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 ince...
2026-02-041h 20Decision Space
Decision SpaceTrio, Jungo, and the Joys of Family Gaming with Jason SchneiderEpisode 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...
2026-01-211h 12Decision Space
Decision SpaceArcs is Ambitious, Aggravating... and AwesomeEpisode 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 So...
2026-01-071h 27Decision Space
Decision SpaceOur Favorite Video Games of All TimeDecision 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...
2025-12-101h 23Decision Space
Decision SpaceEntering the Donkey Space: Agent Avenue and HanamikojiDecision 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.   ...
2025-12-031h 15Decision Space
Decision SpaceEvaluating Auction GamesDecision 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...
2025-11-191h 29Decision Space
Decision SpaceEvery Game I'm Shufflin': Deckbuilding 201 and Dune ImperiumDecision 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 240 - Deckbuilding 201 Part 2 of our deckbuilding series continues with hybrid designs!  Pete and Jake discuss board games that utilize deckbuilding as a mechanism, with a special focus on Paul Dennen's Dune Imperium games.  Also Jake comes to the realization that a deckbuilding game is really just a deck shuffling game.  He was qui...
2025-11-121h 14Decision Space
Decision SpaceDesign Day Recap: Feedback, Feelings, and FunDecision 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 237 - Design Day Recap Pete, Paul, and Jake share their experiences at Stonemaier Design Day 2025.  They discuss games they demoed and played while shooting the breeze about what to do with player feedback and how to figure out the next steps for your designs.     Timestamps 0...
2025-10-221h 14Decision Space
Decision SpaceDeckbuilding 101 and DominionDecision 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 234 - Deckbuilding 101 and Dominion Pete and Brendan dig into one of the most popular mechanisms in modern gaming: deckbuilding?  Why is it so popular?  How does a deckbuilding decision space flip engine building on its head?  For today's Deckbuilding 101 class, we of course use Dominion as our case study into the genre and...
2025-10-011h 16Intertextual Experience: A Board Game Podcast
Intertextual Experience: A Board Game Podcast#40 - Pete Wissinger—Crit(ical Thinking Skill)s and Trick(y question)s: A Back to School SpecialIntertextual Experience is now over the hill with its 40th guest and is also over the moon that it’s with designer, developer, and podcaster, Pete Wissinger. Pete’s also a teacher, so this episode thinks about the relationships between teaching and gaming as well as how the unique schedule of being a teacher can aid and/or hinder being creative in the board game space. We talk about coffee consumption, games that work well in the classroom, the idea of learning in general, designer diaries, cursed concoctions of board game mechanisms, and so much more.Check out...
2025-10-011h 27Decision Space
Decision SpaceBrain Burning Decision Spaces and Castles of Mad King LudwigDecision 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 232 - Brain Burning Decision Spaces and Castles of Mad King Ludwig Pete and Brendan explore what types of games give us that satisfying (and sometimes exhausting) feeling of "brain burn".  Why do we like this?  Are board gamers a bunch of masochists?   Also, we deep dive the classic Cas...
2025-09-171h 13Decision Space
Decision SpaceExpanding Root (Deep Dive Part 2)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 230 - Expanding Root Pete and Brendan bring you the jumbo sized sequel to episode 219.  We dig into the decision spaces of all six Root expansion factions!  We also talk about the new boards and cards.  This is our sort of farewell love letter to this amazing game.  We ran pretty long because I th...
2025-09-031h 54Decision Space
Decision SpaceTrick-Taking With A TwistDecision 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 229 - Trick-Taking With A Twist Pete and Paul dive deep into the twists behind the modern trick-taking renaissance.  How have designers been keeping this centuries old style of card game fresh for players?  How far can you twist the decision space of playing into a trick?  Listen to us gush about these gam...
2025-08-271h 12Decision Space
Decision SpaceApiary and Positive Player InteractionDecision 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 228 - Apiary and Positive Player Interaction Jake and Pete do a semi deep dive on Apiary and follow it up with a sort of debate about what does and does not qualify as "positive player interaction."  Things get spicy enough that we're already planning a follow-up episode on the topic!    
2025-08-201h 03Decision Space
Decision SpaceExploring Cardboard Worlds: Earthborne Rangers and Vantage with Dan ThurotDecision 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 226 - Exploring Cardboard Worlds Special guest Dan Thurot of Space Biff joins Pete for a discussion about open worlds games.  They get into the different design philosophies of these games in different mediums and use Earthborne Rangers and Vantage as case studies for modern board games.   Check out Da...
2025-08-061h 10Decision Space
Decision SpaceTop Games of the 00's That Are Worth Playing in 2025Decision 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 225 - Best Games of the 2000s In a bit of friendly competition, we attempt to draft the best set of games from the first decade of the century that have stood the test of time.  Pete is the real villain of this one.  Be sure to hop on discord and vote for th...
2025-07-3059 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceWhat Have Pete and Jake Been Playing?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 222 - What have we been playing?  In this very chill episode, Jake and Pete discuss some recent plays of some new and old games.  Listen for such unexpected topics as: Mac Gerdts designs a rondel game??? Pete talks about a trick-taking game??? Jake plays a Kramer an...
2025-07-091h 02Decision Space
Decision SpacePlayer Count Problems and SolutionsDecision 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 221 - Balancing for Player Count (WWTA) A game development episode in which Pete, Paul, and Brendan ask the important questions: What makes games flexible or inflexible when it comes to player count? Should a publisher put a suboptimal player count on a box? Are there games...
2025-07-021h 14Decision Space
Decision SpaceMail Time! (Ask Us Anything)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 220 - Listener Question Mailbag A loose episode in which Jake, Brendan, and Pete answer such hard hitting questions as:   "Why do you play board games?" "What designs are you working on?" "Who is the hottest member of the Fellowship?"    Game Tim...
2025-06-251h 16Decision Space
Decision SpaceRoot: the Greatest Game of All Time?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 219 - Root Deep Dive (part 1) Buckle in for a long one!  Pete and Brendan go DEEP on Cole Wehrle's Root.  Did Brendan enjoy exploring Pete's favorite game?  Is the Vagabond OP?  Do the Cats suck?  Is this game too hard to learn?     Timestamps 3:20- reviews 12:50...
2025-06-181h 47Decision Space
Decision SpaceLifestyle Games (What We Talk About)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 218 - Lifestyle Games  What we talk about when we talk about lifestyle games.  Are they worth sinking all your time and money into?  Let's discuss!   Timestamps 4:15 what is a lifestyle game? 30:00 what do we like about lifestyle games? 37:00 what do we dislike abou...
2025-06-111h 13Decision Space
Decision SpaceInnovation and Games without Guard Rails (Look Mom, No Hands!)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 216 - Innovation and Games without Guard Rails (Look Mom, No Hands!) Look mom, no hands! Brendan and Pete are diving into a discussion without guard rails (games) and then review Carl Chudyk's, Innovation. Timestamps Show Business - 0:00 Games without Guard Rails - 3:08 Innovation - 20:54
2025-05-2856 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceTop 10 Games of All Time (10 to 6)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 213 - Top 10 Games of All Time of All Hosts in 2025 All four hosts are here to share the first half of our top 10 games of all time lists. That is Paul, Pete, Jake, and Brendan counting down games number ten through six of our lists. Timestamps 0:00...
2025-05-071h 24Decision Space
Decision SpaceCooperation, Communication, and Vantage with Jamey StegmaierDecision 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 212 - Cooperation, Communication, and Vantage with Jamey Stegmaier Jamey Stegmaier, disc golf enthusiast, omni gamer, and president/CEO of Stonemaier Games, drops by the show to talk about communication in cooperative games with Pete and Jake. We also discuss the upcoming vantage, informed by a playtest session of the game. ...
2025-04-301h 03Decision Space
Decision SpaceQuintessential Pete and Paul GamesDecision 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 210 - Quintessential Pete and Paul Games Get to know the new Decision Space hosts tastes in games. In this episode, these two old friends explore the games that are quintessential to their tastes and where those tastes fall on the decision space spectrum. Timestamps Show Business...
2025-04-161h 15Decision Space
Decision SpaceF Is for Filler and FarawayDecision 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 208 - F Is for Filler and Faraway This week's episode, hosted by Pete and featuring Brendan and Paul, asks the question, "Are filler games just bad?" Enjoy this discussion on fillers before transitioning to a quick dip into Faraway. Timestamps Show Business - 0:00 Filler Games...
2025-04-091h 05Decision Space
Decision SpaceRIP To 3 Dearly Beloved Board GamesDecision 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 207 - RIP To 3 Dearly Departed Board Games Brendan, Jake, and Pete each share a eulogy for one board game that they once loved, but which is now, sadly, no longer on our table. Funeral attire is strictly enforced. Timestamps Games are Forever - 0:00 Game One (7 Wonders) - 9:30
2025-03-261h 04Decision Space
Decision SpaceCan Games Be Mean?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 206 - What We Talk About When We Talk About If Games Can Be Mean Pete, Brendan, and Jake debate whether games can be mean with our usual sense of decorum and mastery of the oral argument.  Timestamps Can Games Be Mean - 0:00   Ga...
2025-03-191h 05Decision Space
Decision SpaceExpression in Board Games (What We Talk About)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 204 - What We Talk About When We Talk About Expression in Board Games Brendan and Pete talk about expression in board games! The discussion takes us to the ways we can express ourselves through game play, the games that enable expression and the games that do not, and how this might shape...
2025-03-051h 03Decision Space
Decision SpaceTypes of Simultaneous Play and Fromage Deep DiveDecision 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 203 - Fromage What the heck! The first episode ever with no Jake and no Brendan. It's up to Paul and Pete to lead the way, and they do an awesome job discussing the types of simultaneous play that you'll find in board game before deep diving Fromage.   Timestamps
2025-02-261h 16Decision Space
Decision SpaceAge of Innovation and Discussion on Sequels, Expansions, and ReimplementationsDecision 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 202 - Age of Innovation For the first time ever, it is Jake and Pete. We start with a discussion on Sequels, Expansions, Reimplementations and the muck that gets kicked up when certain publishers iterate. We then move into a notable example of game design iteration with the newest Terra Mystica game, Age...
2025-02-191h 10Decision Space
Decision SpaceShedding in Board Games (What We Talk About) and a Haggis ReviewDecision 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 199 - Shedding Games and Haggis It's Pete, Paul, and Brendan this week discussing the shedding mechanism in board games before pivoting into a review of one of the most notable of these card games, Haggis! Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 3:38 - Shedding Games WWTA 34:45 - Scout  43:20...
2025-01-291h 20Decision Space
Decision SpaceThe Best 2024 Board Game Decisions and Games We Look Forward to in 2025Decision 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 198 - The Best 2024 Board Game Decisions and Games We Look Forward to in 2025 Award season isn't over, at least not yet on Decision Space. Today, we welcome the 'Naughts to a gala event, where Paul, Pete, and Jake will each award bronze, silver, and gold medals for best decisions in 2024 games.
2025-01-221h 07Decision Space
Decision SpaceTrick-Taking in Board Games (What We Talk About with Pete Wissinger)Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games. Vote for Decision Space to win the Golden Geek HERE: https://boardgamegeek.com/geekawards/boardgame (If you have any questions or difficulty, please reach out in the discord!) 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 169 - Trick-Taking Pete Wissinger stops by the interdecisional spaceship to talk trick-taking games!   Timestamps I...
2024-05-151h 13Decision Space
Decision SpaceGamers Ranch Recent Plays and Pete's Back!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 found this podcast! Episode 161 - Pete's Back! Gamers Ranch Recent Plays Pete Wissinger is back, and he and Jake are talking about recent plays at a magical trip to Gamers Ranch. We talk about Dune Imperium: Uprising, Blob Party (Jake's play of the weekend), Schadenfreude, Robot Quest Arena, and Three Ring Circus. Sit back...
2024-03-2151 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceWhat We're Playing with Pete WissingerDecision 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 found this podcast! Episode 158 - What We're Playing with Pete Wissinger Pete Wissinger stops by the interdecisional spaceship to talk with Jake and Brendan about some games that he's been playing lately, and wouldn't you know it, we've been playing some games too! Pete is an up and coming game designer with a love fo...
2024-02-211h 15Decision Space
Decision SpaceDownforce - We Have ConcernsDecision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 66 - Downforce Buckle your safety belts because this one gets a little bit bumpy. This week we cover Downforce, a Restoration Games remake of Wolfgang Kramer's original design with design work by Kramer, Rob Daviau, and Justin D. Jacobsen.   Timestamps Intro - 0:00 Rules Overview - 7:36 Feature Discussion - 9:26   Mu...
2022-05-041h 01Decision Space
Decision SpaceSushi Go! with Azul Queen’s Garden on My MindDecision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 65 - Sushi Go! Sushi Go! by Phil Walker-Harding is our feature game in this week's episode. As card-carrying members of the PWH fan club, we're excited to sink our teeth into this super-light game. We'll explore the decisions in the game and offer card-by-card analysis. If that wasn't enough, it is also the return of the "What's on My Mi...
2022-04-271h 06Decision Space
Decision SpaceAudience Q&A - What Is the Best Board Game To Eat?Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games!   Call to Action Please nominate Decision Space for a Golden Geek award!   Episode 64 - Audience Q&A You asked, and in this episode, we answer. We take on tons of great questions submitted by our audience (thank you so much to everyone who submitted a question) that range from seriously thought-provoking to seriously silly. More than ever before, join us in the Interdecisional Spaceship as we take off!   Games Discussed Tigris and...
2022-04-201h 05Decision Space
Decision SpaceTigris and Euphrates, Pt.2Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 63 - Tigris and Euphrates Part Two Interdecisional Spaceship recalibrating. Charting return course to Tigris and Euphrates. Read Message: "Please join us for the exciting conclusion of our two-part series on the modern board game classic Tigris and Euphrates, the one where we actually Decision Space!"  Now commencing exploration.   Ga...
2022-04-131h 07Decision Space
Decision SpaceTigris and Euphrates, Pt. 1Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 62 - Tigris and Euphrates Part One This is a bit of a doozy. In the first part of the first two-part episode ever, Brendan and Jake spar about the merits of Tigris and Euphrates. Is this a great game? Would you recommend it to new gamers in the year 2022? And of course we talk about whether or not this ga...
2022-04-071h 15Decision Space
Decision SpaceGreat Western Trail - A Straight Shootin’ Strategy GameDecision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 61 - Great Western Trail Howdy! Today, we cover a game that, fittingly, Brendan and I have both had our own long and winding journeys with. And wouldn't you know it, it appears we hit a fork in the road and ended up in very different places. Great Western Trail is designer Alexander Pfister's biggest hit. It's a rondel building an...
2022-03-301h 07Decision Space
Decision SpacePlaying 30 Games at Once! What We’ve Learned from Digital Play (What We Talk About)Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 60 - What We Talk About When We Talk About Digital Play This episode is all about the way we play board games digitally and what we've learned from the experience. Our show would not be what is without the learnings that digital play affords. Jake also reveals just how many games he is playing simultaneously at any given time......
2022-03-231h 00Decision Space
Decision SpaceA Feast for Odin - The Feast Is a LIEDecision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 59 - A Feast for Odin An extravagant menu, satisfying options, and playing out over 7 courses, A Feast for Odin by Uwe Rosenberg delivers on the promise of a decadent gaming experience and then some. In this week's episode of Decision Space, we take a bite out of this sprawling decision space and give you, as always, our honest opinions ab...
2022-03-161h 06Decision Space
Decision SpaceA New Way To Talk About Objectives in Games (What We Talk About)Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 58 - What We Talk About When We Talk About A New Way To Talk About Objectives In Games Holy S***! It's a new way to talk about type episode after long last. In this one, Brendan presents his new framework for describing scoring/objective systems in games. These come in three types, solitary, juxtaposed, and overlaid. We quickly go th...
2022-03-091h 09Decision Space
Decision SpaceBroom Service - Knowing the COWARDLY Mind of the OpponentDecision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 57 - Broom Service Imagine if to fold in poker you had to say, "I'm a cowardly hill witch." Well, that is basically Broom Service in a nutshell, and I don't need to say more than that to tell you that Broom Service is an incredible game. We won't bury the lead this week. In today's episode, we hop into th...
2022-03-021h 13Decision Space
Decision SpaceOur Board Game Biases (What We Talk About)Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 56 - Our Board Game Biases and Affinities Today's show topic is arguably the first one we should have ever done. In this What We Talk About episode, we dive into our board gaming biases and affinities. It is our hope that this episode helps you get to know your interdecisional spaceship co-pilots just a bit better, and in turn ma...
2022-02-231h 05Decision Space
Decision SpaceCartographers - You Draw a Map!Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 55 - Cartographers In this week's episode of Decision Space, we chart a course (heh) for the flip-n-write game Cartographers, designed by Jordy Aidan and published by Thunderworks Games, where players get to, get this, draw a map on their sheet of paper! If that sounds like fun, it is. But what does the game have to offer beyond its ap...
2022-02-161h 05Decision Space
Decision SpaceCascadia - The Cascadia Kid with Special Guest Maya PolanDecision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 54 - Cascadia Sorry to all previous guests on Decision Space, but it must be said that on today's episode of Decision Space we welcome our most special guest to date. For our deep-dive discussion of the decisions in Cascadia, we are joined by none other than Brendan's wife Maya Polan. Brendan and Maya have cranked out 65 plays of Cascadia so...
2022-02-091h 09Decision Space
Decision SpaceTempo in Board Games and What It Isn’t (What We Talk About)Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 53 - What We Talk About When We Talk About Tempo in Board Games and What It Isn't This game has a great tempo! That move just gained you so much tempo! I have tempo in this situation! All of these phrases can say a lot about a game, a game state, and a game's decision space. The challenge is th...
2022-02-011h 00Decision Space
Decision SpaceEvolution: Climate - Keep Your Politics in My Evolution Board Game?!Decision Space is the podcast about decisions in board games! Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 52 - Evolution: Climate This week we begin with a brief "What's on Your Mind" discussion. Brendan has been playing Calico, and Jake recaps an epic birthday game day. After that, we hop right into our signature deep dive discussion of the Evolution system with a focus on Evolution: Climate, designed by Dominic Crapuchettes, Dmitry Knorre, and Sergey Machin with art...
2022-01-261h 10Decision Space
Decision SpacePalaces of Carrara - Can You Grok the Block?Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Join the crew today! (Decision Space Patreon)   Episode 51 - Palaces of Carrara Jake and Brendan are back in the interdecisional spaceship and - look out! - we're heading straight for Kramer and Kiesling's 2012 game Palaces of Carrara -- a decision space some call ungrokable. Find out what we say as wee discuss this sleek design that's oddly hard to talk about in this week;s episode of Decision Space, the podcast about decisions in games. Stick around for the en...
2022-01-191h 08Decision Space
Decision SpaceEpisode 50! (Mission Planning 10 Games We Want to Explore in 2022 and Aspirations)Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 50 - Mission Planning 10 Games We Want to Explore in 2022, Podcast Aspiration, Book Club, and a Big Announcement Our biggest milestone yet -- episode 50! In this episode, we do a little pre-planning of our own and discuss 10 we want to cover imminently in 2022. We also share our podcast aspirations for 2022. If that wasn't enough, we have two announcements. For one, we will be starting the first ever Decision Space book club and reading Games: Agency as Art by C. Thi Nguyen. (Mo...
2022-01-1259 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceSplendor - The Little Engine That Could (Not Be Killed?)Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 49 - Splendor The week we change things up. No, really! It's the return of the "What's on Your Mind" segment where Jake and Brendan each share one game that we've been playing lately. Then we take off for Splendor's decision space in our interdecisional spaceship. We ask if this mega-hit is truly an engine building game, and, returning to Splendor after some time away, we ask if these gems still shine as brightly as they once did. You'll have to li...
2022-01-051h 12Decision Space
Decision SpaceWe Rank EVERY Game - 2021 End of Year SpecialClick on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 48 - End of Year Special where We Rank Every Game Featured on Decision Space in 2021 In the end of year special edition of Decision Space, we rank every game featured on the show this year from 30 to 1. Thank you for making this first year of Decision Space such a wonderful experience. Here's to even bigger things in 2022. Games Featured in this Episode Kanagawa, Carpe Diem, Res Arcana, Underwater Cities, The Fox in the Forest, Terraforming Mars, Ma...
2021-12-291h 24Decision Space
Decision SpaceAzul - Clones The Castles of Burgundy‘s Decision Space?!Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!  Click on this link to participate in our end of the year community top 10 poll.    Episode 47 - Azul 2018 Spiel Des Jahres winner, the 58th best game of all time on Board Game Geek, and designed by the esteemed Michael Kiesling, you don't need our podcast to tell you that Azul is a good game. So today on Decision Space, we dive deep into the decision space that emerges from Azul's simple set of mechanisms as players tussle over tile sup...
2021-12-221h 06Decision Space
Decision SpaceRaiders of the North Sea - A Raid to RememberClick on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 46 - Raiders of the North Sea If you've been playing hobby board games over the past six years, then you likely have at least a passing awareness of the output of Garphill games and designer Shem Phillips. (If you are new to hobby board games, then welcome!) In today's episode we cover the Garphill Game that first put Shem on ther radar for many of us, Raiders of the North Sea. Raiders is a worker placement game, with an efficiently br...
2021-12-151h 05Decision Space
Decision SpaceIrrational Actors (What We Talk About with Tony Faber)Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 45 - What We Talk About When We Talk About Irrational Actors with Special Guest Tony Faber Is a new player pretty much the same thing as a drunk player? This is just one of the many hard-hitting questions we'll dig into (seriously) on this week's episode of Decision Space. The topic of irrational actors at the board game table, an unwieldy topic that spans social contracts, sobriety, siding with spies, and so much more. There's no way we could tackle th...
2021-12-081h 01Decision Space
Decision SpaceKingdom Builder - We‘re Gonna Need A Bigger Decision SpaceClick on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 44 - Kingdom Builder Back with yet another classic game and yet another Spiel De Jahres winner, this week on Decision Space it is Kingdom Builder. We bring out our magnifying glasses to explore the decisions in this game, and it is a good thing we did because is the smallest decision space we've come across yet. But perhaps a small decision space is all you need to have a great time and, after all, this game did win the most pr...
2021-12-011h 03Decision Space
Decision SpacePatchwork - Buttons Rule Everything Around MeClick on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 43 - Patchwork We may have topped ourselves and put out our giggliest episode ever! It's true, we laughed a lot and had a great time exploring the decisions in Uwe Rosenberg's classic Patchwork. This is a game that hides a lot (of negative points) under its adorable (or gruesome - hello Halloween edition) exterior. Don't get it twisted. The game's cute, but to become the Button Master, you'll hash it out in a strategic, no-luck affair. So are these decisions fo...
2021-11-241h 01Decision Space
Decision SpaceObjective Vs. Subjective Decision Space (What We Talk About)Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 42 - Objective Versus Subjective Decision Space (WWTA) For the first time, we revisit a topic discussed on our 3rd ever episode, decision space. (Yeah, like the name of the show.) Specifically, we try to add nuance to the original discussion with something that has been coming up a lot in our game discussions, the subjective nature of decision space. We look at what parts of a decision space are objective, what parts are subjective (most of it), and whatever the he...
2021-11-1758 minDecision Space
Decision Space7 Wonders Duel with Special Guest Jamey StegmaierClick on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 41 - 7 Wonders Duel Jake, Brendan, and Jamey Stegmaier hop in the Interdecisional Spaceship to talk 7 Wonders Duel on this week's episode. We talk about the way that three truly viable win conditions and the many simultaneous games of tug-of-war shape the decision space in this powerhouse Bauza and Cathala team-up design. You won't want to miss it. And if you can spare a moment to like and review this podcast, then that would mean the world to us! ...
2021-11-101h 01Decision Space
Decision SpaceRace for the Galaxy - Phases Set To FunClick on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 40 - Race for the Galaxy Race for the Galaxy, designed by Tom Lehman. Enough said. Get in here!   Preplan Your Next Turn Next time on Decision Space we explore the decisions in Seven Wonders: Duel!   Music 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/watc...
2021-11-031h 05Decision Space
Decision Space10 Decision Spaces We Want To Explore ASAP - Mission Planning (New type of episode?!)Click on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 39 - 10 Decision Spaces We Want To Explore ASAP (Mission Planning #1) For the first time, we discuss games we haven't played. That's right. We are trying out a brand new type of episode that we are tentatively titling Mission Planning. In this episode, we discuss 10 games (5 each) that we can't wait to get to play. This includes new games, hotness, and it wouldn't be Decision Space if it didn't include some old games too. We had a giggly, good time chatting, but...
2021-10-271h 00Decision Space
Decision SpaceSpirit Island - Imposing Depths of Indomitable Board GameClick on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 38 - Spirit Island This week is Spirit Island by designer R. Eric Reuss. A serious game for serious gamers that defies expectations in the best possible way. Here's an admission, we were a bit nervous to cover this game and its mammoth decision space. As we explored the game in preparation for this episode, t felt as if no amount of plays would be enough, but perhaps more than anything else that is a testament to the game and engine at...
2021-10-201h 13Decision Space
Decision SpacePraga Caput Regni - The Actions on the Wheel Go Round and RoundClick on the link to join our active and welcoming Discord community!    Episode 37 - Praga Caput Regni We discuss designer Vladimir Suchý's follow-up to Underwater Cities, Praga Caput Regni, where instead of building underwater cities, players will build one on land city! This is a heavy euro game with tons of decisions centered around an innovative action selection mechanic that encourages players not to put all of their eggs in one basket. In our discussion, we won't walk on eggshells as we the decisions in the game and ask the question all of...
2021-10-131h 04Decision Space
Decision SpaceA New Way To Talk About Theme (What We Talk About)Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!    Episode 36 - What We Talk About When We Talk About A New Way To Talk About Theme In this week's episode, we go old-school Decision Space and hit you with a new framework for discussing themes in board games. There is an environmental theme, a mechanical theme, and, of course, a decision space theme! We explain the framework and then put it through its paces trying to fill out the entire gaming theme matrix from high, high, high (high levels of theme in...
2021-10-061h 16Decision Space
Decision SpaceKingdomino - What‘s Hiding Beneath This Quirky Art?Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!    Episode 35 - Kingdomino Zany kingdoms, quirky art, and dominos make Kingdomino one of the warmest welcomes to the board game hobby we've ever come across, but could there be a demanding competitive experience hidden beneath this apparently simple game? You'll have to hop in to find out, the Interdecisional Space ship takes off in 3... 2... 1! Music Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on...
2021-09-291h 03Decision Space
Decision SpaceImhotep - The Perfect Poached Egg?Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!    Episode 34 - Imhotep This week on Decision Space, Imhotep! Designed by Phil Walker-Harding and a 2016 Spiel Des Jahres Nominee is a game about placing rocks, sailing boats, and getting in each other's way all the while. There isn't much more to it than that in this incredibly simple poached egg. I mean game. Will Jake and Brendan find this poached egg of a game to be bland, or will a perfectly runny yolk, fluffy texture, and pinch of salt prove that a po...
2021-09-221h 04Decision Space
Decision SpaceOur Personal Top 10 Games (What We Talk About)Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!    Episode 33 - What We Talk When We Talk About Our Top 10 Games After 32 episodes Jake and Brendan break down and give you the board game content that you want and deserve. In this very special episode, we each share our personal top 10 games as well as a few honorable mentions. What are your top 10 games? Who's list is better? Jump into the conversation in our Discord channel to let us know what you think! Music Credits Thank you to...
2021-09-151h 08Decision Space
Decision SpaceJaipur - Jake EVISCERATES ItClick on the link to join our brand new Discord community!    Episode 32 - Jaipur Jaipur is a widely revered, frequently recommended two-player set collectin' card game designed by Sebastian Pauchon and published in 2009. We give Jaipur a bath in the Decision Spa and then take it out back and give it what for as we discuss its decision space and some of the design choices that we don't agree with! Join us in the Interdecisional Spaceship as we set course for a brutal new episode of Decision Space. Music Credits ...
2021-09-0846 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceVillagers - Are These Combos?Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!    Episode 31 - Villagers Villagers is a 2019 game with art and design by Haakon Gaarder and published by Sinister Fish. To be frank, we go all over the place as we discuss this lightweight tableau-building card-drafting game. The free-flowing conversation takes us through rigidity in combos, satisfaction in decisions, frustration in limitations and much more. Whether you like Villagers, don't like Villagers, or have never even heard of the game, I think there will be something of interest for you in this episode of...
2021-09-011h 10Decision Space
Decision SpaceFeedback In Games (What We Talk About)Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!    Episode Thirty - Positive and Negative Feedback Types In this "What We Talk About Episode" Jake and Brendan reveal our new intro and outro music courtesy of Hembree. After that we discuss the various types of feedback in board games. This includes positive feedback, negative feedback, positive agency loops, incremental victory conditions, achievements, jackpots, losspots, and more. As always, it is our sincere hope that our discussion starts a conversation that will continue in our discord on Board Game Geek, or wherever el...
2021-08-2559 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceThe Sport of Kickball - Highest Rated Game Ever?!Click on the link to join our Discord community!   Episode 29 - The Sport of Kickball In this week's episode, Jake sits down with two friends in Lawrence, Kansas to talk about the sport of kickball. Special guest hosts Angela Finch and Simon Skinner share their passion for the game and knowledge about the decisions you'll make in kickball on and off the field. Just because it isn't a board game, doesn't mean there are a ton of great decisions to be found. Join us in our interdecisional spaceship and let's explore this gateway s...
2021-08-181h 04Decision Space
Decision SpaceBruges - You've Got GrailClick on the link to join our Discord community!   Episode 28 - Bruges In this week's episode, Brendan is back! If that wasn't good enough news, we are also covering Bruges by Stefan Feld, the point salad game where you pay people to live in your houses. Never mind the thematic disconnect because these mechanisms are just, chefs kiss, amazing. We have a great discussion and we hope you will join us in the interdecisional spaceship as we set off for 15th century Belgium!   Preplan Your Next Turn Ne...
2021-08-111h 13Decision Space
Decision SpaceAnkh, Snakesss, and Sagrada - Paul and Jake Volume 2Click on the link to join our Discord community!   Episode 27 - Jake and Paul Volume 2 Congratulations to Brendan on the birth of his child! We are so happy for him and his family. In his stead, friend of the show Paul Salomon (Honey Buzz designer) is here again to talk with Jake about a few recent plays including new hotness, Ankh! Interdecisional spaceship, set a course for fun!   Preplan Your Next Turn Next week we discuss the decisions in Bruges by Stefan Feld!   Cal...
2021-08-0458 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceKeyflower - Keylove It or Keyhate ItClick on the link to join our Discord community!   Episode 26 - Keyflower Today on Keycision Space, Keyflower! Keyflower is design by Sebastian Bleasdale and Richard Breese and published by R&D games in 2012. This game is a tangled web of auctions and logistics. Fun! Fun? It depends who you ask, but one thing is for sure, this is the 78th best board game of all time at the time of recording on BGG. Hop into our interdecisional keyship and we'll get into it PLUS we'll- explore a village while we do. See you t...
2021-07-281h 14Decision Space
Decision SpaceThe Art of Being Good (What We Talk About)Click on the link to join our Discord community!   Episode 25 - What We Talk About When We Talk About Being Good Jake and Brendan are back together on the microphones doing what we do best, talking about games and game peripheral things. Today's episode is a "what we talk about episode" where we talk about being good at games. This episode is a companion to a prior discussion on getting good. Once you have reached the mountain top, we ask the question, what next? Preplan Your Next Turn Next w...
2021-07-211h 02Decision Space
Decision SpaceAres Expedition, Summer Camp, Juicy Fruits, and Fireball Island - Paul and Jake Talk GamesClick on the link to join our Discord community!   Episode 24 - Paul and Jake Talk Games When Brendan is away, Paul comes in to save the day. On this episode, I'm joined in studio (my house) by Paul Salomon (Honey Buzz and Genotype) to talk unscripted about our recent plays. We talk about Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition, Summer Camp, Juicy Fruits, Fireball Island, and more. Hop in the Interdecisional Spaceship and enjoy the episode, then join us to continue the conversation on discord!   Preplan Your Next Turn Ne...
2021-07-1448 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceHey, That's My Fish! - Decisions Have Never Waned HarderClick on the link to join our Discord community!   Episode 23 - Hey, That's My Fish Hey, That's My Fish! takes one minute to learn. In today's episode, we dive deep into that simple ruleset and emerge into a decision space larger, richer, and more interesting than we could have possibly imagined! There's nothing left to do now but to fire up the Interdecisional Spaceship and set a course for fish. Hey! those are my fish! Hey, That's My Fish! is designed by  Games Discussed Chess, Kickball, Checkers, Chicken, Disc Gol...
2021-06-3059 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceCastles of Burgundy - Crème de la CrèmeClick on the link to join our Discord community!   Episode 22 - The Castles of Burgundy Today, friends, feast your ears on one of tastiest point-salad morsels ever served up by the master chef himself, Mr. Stefan Feld. The Castles of Burgundy is a great, great game. Quite possibly the best board game ever made by the tastes of one of our hosts. But why is it so good? What is it about the decision space that makes it an experience so many people want to return to time and time again. We'll try t...
2021-06-231h 10Decision Space
Decision SpaceMistakes are GOOD but sometimes they HURT (What We Talk About)Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!    Episode 21 - Mistakes in Board Games Why did I do that? I'm such an idiot. Can I take that back?! Mistakes are all around us in the world of board games, or are they the game itself? In this episode we talk about the act, experience, and impact of mistakes in board games. This episode also features a mini-review of Dune Imperium in comparison to Ruins of Arnak! Hop into the Interdecisional Space ship and set your audio device to play! Not li...
2021-06-161h 04Decision Space
Decision SpaceCarcassonne - A Funny Thing Keeps HappeningClick on the link to join our Discord community!   Episode 20 - Carcassonne The big episode 20 is here and with it a game that is 20 years old. Wow! That works so well that you'd think we planned it, but as you are likely well aware, this isn't really that kind of show. Hop into the interdecisional spaceship and travel with us to a time long ago, the year 2000. Specifically, we'll travel to a time and place where a cutting-edge board game with a strange name has just been released. The game? Carcassonne. I...
2021-06-091h 04Decision Space
Decision SpaceGrand Austria Hotel - Jake Gives Strategy Tips But Doesn't Know The RulesClick on the link to join our brand new Discord community!  Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Nineteen - Grand Austria Hotel Welcome distinguished guests to this week's episode of Decision -Space. Our Interdecisional Spaceship has taken us straight into the service industry of the Viennese modern age in Grand Austria Hotel, a board game designed by Virginio Gigli, Simone Luciani with iconic illustrations by Klemens Franz. As always, we provide our traditional ratings and slogans, explore the game's decision spa...
2021-06-021h 16Decision Space
Decision SpaceBOARD GAME SIGNPOSTS! (What We Talk About)Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!    Episode Eighteen - What the HECK are Signposts in Board Games In this "What We Talk About Episode" Jake and Brendan discuss signposts in board games. We ask important questions like what are they even? And further, what do they do? To this end, Jake becomes increasingly more confused. Fortunately, we eventually come to some steady footing and draw conclusions about this board game terminology that we believe will lead to even more productive board game discussions moving forward. If that sounds li...
2021-05-261h 08Decision Space
Decision SpaceKeyForge - The MOST Skill Intensive Dueling Card Game?!Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!  Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode 17 - KeyForge   At long last, our interdecisional spaceship has successfully navigated to the Crucible, the land of KeyForge. This is old stomping grounds for Jake and Brendan who have long -- like kind of absurdly -- histories with the game. KeyForge is designed by Richard Garfield and published by Fantasy Flight Games. In today's episode, we explore the decision space in KeyForge and whet...
2021-05-191h 21Decision Space
Decision SpaceLost Ruins of Arnak - This Game Won Us OverClick on the link to join our brand new Discord community!  Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Sixteen - Lost Ruins of Arnak  UH OH! The Interdecisional Spaceship has crash-landed into some kind of overrun forest. Is that some generic ruins of nonspecific civilization over there?! That's right, it's another deckbuilding game, but is it just another deckbuilding game? Today on Decision Space, we explore Lost Ruins of Arnak, designed by Elwen and Mín and published by Czech Games Editi...
2021-05-121h 22Decision Space
Decision SpaceReturn of the Game Night (What We Talk About)Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!  Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Fifteen - Return of the Game Night (What We Talk About) Jake and Brendan have a nice chat about returning to in-person play after so much time away. It's a conversation, as Brendan eloquently points out, that is like the scene in Star Wars where everyone takes a break to play chess, except with no mad Wookies. We also congratulate Brendan on his ne...
2021-05-0555 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceStar Realms with Paul Salomon - But Why Four Factions?!Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!  Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Fourteen - Star Realms with Paul Salomon  We are honored to be joined by board game designer Paul Salomon, perhaps best known for his recent hit game Honey Buzz, to talk about Star Realms. Star Realms, designed by Robert Dougherty and Darwin Kastle, is a game Paul is very familiar with, and he came prepared to school us on the inner workings of this...
2021-04-281h 18Decision Space
Decision SpaceEl Grande - Is this "Classic" Game Actually GOOD?Click on the link to join our brand new Discord community!  Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Thirteen - Does El Grande Hold Up to 25 Years of Innovation?   The year was 1996, one year after the release of a little game we like to call Settlers of Catan (or just Catan now, I guess). The German board game circuit is absolutely buzzing about the exciting future for board games hobby and designers are poised to risk it all with the...
2021-04-211h 15Decision Space
Decision SpaceA New Way To Talk About Games (What We Talk About)Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Twelve - We Invented a New Way To Talk About Games There's Waxing and Waning and Dynamic and Static, but do you recall, the most famous decision framework of all?  Well, Brendan has really went and done it this time. That's right, he invented a whole new way to talk about games. On this episode, we'll talk about this new paradigm and way to frame future discussions of decision space on Decision Space. Woof. We...
2021-04-141h 08Decision Space
Decision SpaceWelcome To... - Little BoxesClick on the link to join our brand new Discord community!  Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Eleven Little boxes on the worksheet Little boxes filled with tricky tracks Little boxes on the worksheet Little boxes all the same There's a pool one and a park one And a fence one and a double one And they all cross off scoring tracks And they all work just the same   W...
2021-04-071h 11Decision Space
Decision SpaceMagic: The Gathering - A Battle of Wits?Join our brand new Discord community!  Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Ten It's our the big one-zero, and we make it a doozy by covering the legendary Magic: The Gathering. Was it perhaps too bold to attempt to cover the decisions in Magic: The Gathering in a single podcast episode? Yes. Definitely yes. But hey, you have to give us some points for trying. Magic is a game that needs no introduction. It's a game that has stood the te...
2021-03-311h 21Decision Space
Decision SpaceCompetitive Play (What We Talk About)Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Nine - What We Talk About When We Talk About Competitive Play It turns out we talk about a whole lot when we talk about competitive play.* We ask what is competitive play and try to define it. We share our own histories in competitive gaming. We also think of the benefits and not-so-benefits of engaging in competitive play, including the potential pitfall of the "Levine Ravine." We conclude the episode with Brendan and Jake both s...
2021-03-241h 21Decision Space
Decision SpaceTerraforming Mars - Brendan Pans ItDecision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Eight We discuss the super, mega-hit Terraforming Mars designed by Jacob Fryxelius and published by FryxGames. It's the 4th best game of all time according to the consensus of users on Boardgamegeek.com, and yet Brendan totally pans it. Come on Brendan, get with the program! (If it wasn't apparent already, Jake writes these episode blurbs... and episode titles. Sorry, Brendan).   0:00 - Intro, Ratings, and Synopses 4:11 - Rules Ove...
2021-03-1759 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceThe Fox in the Forest - It's Like Chess and BasketballDecision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Seven We discuss the two-player trick-taking game The Fox in the Forest, designed by Joshua Buergel and published by Foxtrot Games. For the first time, Jake and Brendan significantly disagree on their rating for this game, but both agree that the game is a lot like basketball. No really.   Preplan Your Next Turn On Next week's episode, we will discuss the terraforming mars game, Terraforming Mars!   Cal...
2021-03-101h 06Decision Space
Decision SpaceThe Value of Games with Jamey Stegmaier (What We Talk About)Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Six In our second "What We Talk About" episode, we had the pleasure to speak with Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games about the "Value" of games. While we talk a lot on Decision Space about the decisions in games, this conversation focuses instead on the decision to games... and why you should games too. Games Mentioned in this episode: Red Rising The Fox in the Forest Sagrada Magic: the Gathering Hallertau Sleeping Gods Terra...
2021-03-0337 minDecision Space
Decision SpaceUnderwater Cities - Let Them Eat KelpDecision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games and now on YouTube.   Episode Five Today we discuss a game that is definitively not about terraforming Mars. This game could literally not be any less about terraforming Mars if tried! That's right. We are talking, of course, about the wonderful Underwater Cities. After all, as a wise lobster once said, life under the sea is better than anything they got up there. On this episode, we consider the lobster, and it may be on to something...   Lo...
2021-02-2456 min