Decision Space

New Editions of Old Games and the Brilliance of Libertalia

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 di

Design Disagreements, Dream Games, and Other Listener Questions

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

Sandbox Objectives and Frosted Blooms

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 thin

The Questions Games Ask (What We Talk About)

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 sho

Deckbuilding 301: How Slay the Spire Expands Tabletop Design

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.  Thi

An Infamous Traffic, Virgin Queen, John Company Megagame and More: Report from a Historical Game Convention

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

Inside the Deck: Digging Deep on Suits, Numbers, and Design

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 a

Showdown of the Best Board Games From the Golden Age of 2010-2014

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

dnup, Scout, and Iterative Game Design

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 no

The Old Kings Crown Rewards Player Expression and Obsession

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 Kin

Playing the Cards You're Dealt: Hand Management (What We Talk About)

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 card

The Beauty of Balance: An Interview with Phil Walker-Harding

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 epi

The Definitive Phil Walker Harding Tier List with Chris Yi

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

We Played New Hotness (Dark Pact, Feya's Swamp), Stone Cold Oldies, and All Time Favorites at Geekway to the West!

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,

"I Drink Your Milkshake": Bus and other Shared Infrastructure Games

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

Agency, Storytelling, and Play: A Conversation with Cole Wehrle

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

What is a Euro Game? (What We Talk About)

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

Our Top 5 Games of All Time (...right now)

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 thi

Our Top 10 Games of All Time (...right now): Part 1

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 fall

What Makes Games Deep? A Conversation About Complexity, Luck, and Skill with Jon Perry

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 d