Decision Space

What Makes Games Beautiful? A Conversation with Frank Lantz Nov 4, 2026 1:19:17 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://www.franklantz.net/ 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-

Shinzawathon! Ranking Every Game From the Master of Trick-Taking with Taylor Reiner Oct 28, 2026 1:53:17 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

Modern Art: A Classic That Continues to Appreciate in Value Oct 21, 2026 1:16:21 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

Medina and More: Fresh Hot Impressions of Dusty Old Games Oct 14, 2026 1:31:04 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

Cole Wehrle on His Love of Economic Games and How They Inspired An Infamous Traffic Oct 7, 2026 1:44:16 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

Our Designs in Development: Report from a Prototype Convention Sep 30, 2026 1:24:32 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 an

Lane Battlers: How Schotten Totten Created a Genre Sep 23, 2026 1:22:52 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

Our Favorite Splotter? Indonesia Roundtable Merge-a-Palooza Sep 16, 2026 1:32:56 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 no

The Games of Gen Con 2026: Greylune, Jibber Jabble, Buttonville and More Sep 9, 2026 1:27:25 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

New Editions of Old Games and the Brilliance of Libertalia Sep 2, 2026 1:12:30 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

Design Disagreements, Dream Games, and Other Listener Questions Aug 26, 2026 1:21:35 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 50:0

Sandbox Objectives and Frosted Blooms Aug 19, 2026 1:12:32 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

The Questions Games Ask (What We Talk About) Aug 12, 2026 1:17:33 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

Deckbuilding 301: How Slay the Spire Expands Tabletop Design Aug 5, 2026 1:47:01 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 Chann

An Infamous Traffic, Virgin Queen, John Company Megagame and More: Report from a Historical Game Convention Jul 29, 2026 1:35:41 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- Nic

Inside the Deck: Digging Deep on Suits, Numbers, and Design Jul 22, 2026 1:27:34 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

Showdown of the Best Board Games From the Golden Age of 2010-2014 Jul 15, 2026 1:09:40 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, Char

dnup, Scout, and Iterative Game Design Jul 8, 2026 1:11:58 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 draf

The Old Kings Crown Rewards Player Expression and Obsession Jul 1, 2026 1:48:23 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 deci

Playing the Cards You're Dealt: Hand Management (What We Talk About) Jun 24, 2026 1:15:27 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 man

The Beauty of Balance: An Interview with Phil Walker-Harding Jun 17, 2026 1:32:54 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- balanc

The Definitive Phil Walker Harding Tier List with Chris Yi Jun 10, 2026 2:08:54 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

We Played New Hotness (Dark Pact, Feya's Swamp), Stone Cold Oldies, and All Time Favorites at Geekway to the West! Jun 3, 2026 1:25:01 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:

"I Drink Your Milkshake": Bus and other Shared Infrastructure Games May 27, 2026 1:17:51 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, Medi

Agency, Storytelling, and Play: A Conversation with Cole Wehrle May 20, 2026 1:29:43 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

What is a Euro Game? (What We Talk About) May 13, 2026 1:14:23 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. (als

Our Top 5 Games of All Time (...right now) May 6, 2026 1:32:39 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

Our Top 10 Games of All Time (...right now): Part 1 Apr 29, 2026 1:27:33 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-

What Makes Games Deep? A Conversation About Complexity, Luck, and Skill with Jon Perry Apr 22, 2026 1:17:40 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 af

Arcs Strikes Back: Exploring the Blighted Reach with Analog Arnie and Jared Ingersoll Apr 15, 2026 1:28:40 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

Duel for Cardia and the Value of Gameplay Modules (or the Lack Thereof) Apr 8, 2026 1:15:54 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

2026 Game Show Spectacular: Achievement Play on Display Apr 1, 2026 1:23:15 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&am

Reports From a Gaming Marathon: Old King's Crown, Blood on the Clocktower, Splotters, and More! Mar 25, 2026 1:24:57 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 Blood

Fun Through Frustration? Game Difficulty and Sail Mar 18, 2026 1:26:03 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,

Isle of Skye: an Elegant Masterpiece of Variable Scoring Mar 11, 2026 1:21:31 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 Prep

Is Art a Game? C. Thi Nguyen Answers Our Questions About Philosophy, Process, and Play Mar 4, 2026 1:24:55 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 t

Concordia: Pursuit of Perfection Feb 25, 2026 1:25:10 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 Sky

Historical Games and Pax Renaissance with Andy Nealen Feb 18, 2026 1:58:06 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

Area Control, Majority, and Conflict (What We Talk About) Feb 11, 2026 1:30:18 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

The Shapes of Games: Decision Spaces and Gameplay Arcs Feb 4, 2026 1:20:01 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 Rena

Episode 250: Counting Down the Best of the Rest Jan 28, 2026 1:27:19 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 Tucan

Trio, Jungo, and the Joys of Family Gaming with Jason Schneider Jan 21, 2026 1:12:22 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

Ra: The Doctor's Greatest Game? Jan 14, 2026 1:29:51 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! Musi

Arcs is Ambitious, Aggravating... and Awesome Jan 7, 2026 1:27:02 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- playe

Awarding Our Favorite Decisions in Games from 2025 Dec 31, 2025 1:30:14 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:

Podcast Year in Review: Reflections and Ranking All the Games! Dec 17, 2025 1:18:52 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 taki

Our Favorite Video Games of All Time Dec 10, 2025 1:23:24 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

Entering the Donkey Space: Agent Avenue and Hanamikoji Dec 3, 2025 1:15:12 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

"Get Good?": What Motivates Us To Play Games Nov 26, 2025 1:22:18 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

Evaluating Auction Games Nov 19, 2025 1:29:33 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, in

Every Game I'm Shufflin': Deckbuilding 201 and Dune Imperium Nov 12, 2025 1:14:19 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 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

Spatial Puzzles and Tile Laying Tropes Nov 5, 2025 1:23:37 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 239 - Spatial Puzzles and Tile Laying Tropes Brendan and Paul dig deep into the mechanisms behind tile-laying games. What are the different decisions players make with tiles and

Fighting Games of Understanding and Tag Team Review with Luke Williams Oct 29, 2025 1:23:59 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 238 - Fighting Games and Tag Team Jake, Brendan, and special guest Luke Williams of the Laughing Table Friends are here to talk about the fighting game video game genre and review

Design Day Recap: Feedback, Feelings, and Fun Oct 22, 2025 1:14:56 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 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

The Best Components of All Time Oct 15, 2025 54:19 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 236 - The Best Components of All Time The whole gang is together for a VERY silly episode that acts as a finale to our component series. We do a competitive draft to see who has

Chunky Decisions and Other Design Lessons with Jon Perry Oct 8, 2025 1:14:12 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 235 - Design Lessons with Jon Perry Tabletop and video game designer Jon Perry joins us for a discussion of the tabletop design lessons that inspire his own work. Check out the

Deckbuilding 101 and Dominion Oct 1, 2025 1:16:53 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 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 de

Meeples, Money, and Other Chit Sep 24, 2025 1:13:58 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 233 - Meeples, Money, and Other Chit Our exploration of board game components continues! In this episode Jake, Brendan, and Paul talk about all the bits in a game! How do decis

Brain Burning Decision Spaces and Castles of Mad King Ludwig Sep 17, 2025 1:13:28 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 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 "brai

Dice Are Nice Sep 10, 2025 1:06:12 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 231 - Dice Are Nice Jake and Brendan present the fourth installment in our component series. This time, they dive deep into dice and all the interesting implications they bring t

Expanding Root (Deep Dive Part 2) Sep 3, 2025 1:54:43 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

Trick-Taking With A Twist Aug 27, 2025 1:12:36 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 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 ca

Apiary and Positive Player Interaction Aug 20, 2025 1:03:06 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 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 p

All About Boards Aug 13, 2025 1:10:46 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 227 - All About Boards Jake and Brendan continue our series on game components with a deep dive on BOARDS! What types of boards exist? How do they enhance the experience of play

Exploring Cardboard Worlds: Earthborne Rangers and Vantage with Dan Thurot Aug 6, 2025 1:10:13 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 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 th

Top Games of the 00's That Are Worth Playing in 2025 Jul 30, 2025 59:36 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 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. P

Board Game Junk Food Jul 23, 2025 1:07:09 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 224 - Board Game Junk Food The gang gets slightly unhinged this week discussing what is the board game equivalent of trashy TV. Also Brendan can't stop thinking about Doritos.

An Ode to the Tile, the Best Component in Tabletop Gaming? Jul 16, 2025 1:00:19 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 223 - Ode to the Tile In this quite academic episode, Paul goes into full teacher mode with Brendan to discuss the many ways different types of tiles are used in board games. Sta

What Have Pete and Jake Been Playing? Jul 9, 2025 1:02:15 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

Player Count Problems and Solutions Jul 2, 2025 1:14:43 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 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 co

Mail Time! (Ask Us Anything) Jun 25, 2025 1:16:57 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 work

Root: the Greatest Game of All Time? Jun 18, 2025 1:47:39 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? D

Lifestyle Games (What We Talk About) Jun 11, 2025 1:13:29 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 lif

The Wow Factor of Games Jun 4, 2025 1:04:54 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 217 - The Wow Factor What makes you stop and say "wow" when playing a game? Listen to Jake workshop his newly patented "Six Kinds of Wow"! Special guest Bill Collins! Game

Innovation and Games without Guard Rails (Look Mom, No Hands!) May 28, 2025 56:39 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

We Played Hot Games at Geekway To the West! (Featuring Laughing Table Friends' Luke Williams and Jared Ingersoll) May 21, 2025 1:06:06 SUPPORT ST. LOUIS TORNADO RELIEF EFFORTS HERE - https://foodcitystl.org/ 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 215 - The Laughing Table Friends Played Hot Games at Geekway To the West! Jake alongside fellow Laughing

Top 10 Games of All Time (5 to 1) May 14, 2025 1:19:26 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 214 - Top 10 Games of All Time of All Hosts in 2025 (5 to 1) We finish off our top 10 lists, counting down from 5 to 1! Timestamps 0:00 - Show Business The Resistance - 3:35 Imh

Top 10 Games of All Time (10 to 6) May 7, 2025 1:24:10 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 co

Cooperation, Communication, and Vantage with Jamey Stegmaier Apr 30, 2025 1:03:33 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 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 t

Let's Duel! Toy Battle and Dueling Games Apr 23, 2025 1:00:23 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 211 - Let's Duel! Toy Battle and Dueling Games Get back to basics with Jake and Brendan as we discuss how there are duel games and then there are duel games. Then, we toe tap into

Episodes

Recommended