Decision Space

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 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 - 3:58 Faraway - 43:07   Games Mentioned Root, Cascadia, Castles of Burgundy, and many, many more.   Preplanners Whoops. Change of plans. We will cover Faraway for our next deep dive and Guild of Merchant Explorers a little later on.   Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/.  Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Rules Overview Music:  Way Home by Tokyo Music Walker https://soundcloud.com/user-356546060​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/tokyo-music-walker-way...​ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/pJThZlOuDtI Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0   Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee!

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 208 - This Episode Is Broken Welcome back to another episode of Decision Space, the only game that takes place right here, between the episodes of your favorite podcast! Good luck to all of our contestants and happy April Fools day! Timestamps Who Should Go First - 3:07 What's in the Box?! - 13:25 Allege the Pledge - 22:45 The Soloman Scale - 32:04 Top 25 Designer Edition - 41:35 The Kennerspieler - 49:33 Higher or Lower - 56:38 Bonus Round - 1:00:12   Games Mentioned Root, Cascadia, Castles of Burgundy, and many, many more.   Preplanners Whoops. Change of plans. We will cover Faraway for our next deep dive and Guild of Merchant Explorers a little later on.   Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/.  Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Rules Overview Music:  Way Home by Tokyo Music Walker https://soundcloud.com/user-356546060​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/tokyo-music-walker-way...​ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/pJThZlOuDtI Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Bell with Crows by MKzing -- https://freesound.org/s/474266/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 hammer v2.wav by blukotek -- https://freesound.org/s/337815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0   Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee!

The hosts share heartfelt eulogies for three beloved board games that have faded from their tables. They reflect on the emotional journey of gaming nostalgia and the thrill of initial excitement. Seven Wonders receives a mix of praise and critique, while Key Forge's community-driven memories are bittersweet. Mysterium garners memories of cooperative play marred by gameplay frustrations. Each story is a humorous reminder of the impermanence of our favorite games and the challenge of saying goodbye.

The hosts dive into the intriguing concept of 'mean' games, debating whether aggressive strategies reflect game flaws or player choices. They share personal anecdotes revealing the complex emotional responses players have during intense gameplay. The discussion includes examples like Catan and Barrage, analyzing how game mechanics foster feelings of frustration and unfairness. The balance between competition and camaraderie is explored, highlighting the nuanced dynamics of player interactions that can turn friendly competition into something more cutthroat.

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 205 - What We Talk About When We Talk About Drawing Cards It's an OG host episode, with the twist that Jake made the notes for once (with a little help from our discordians). In this episode Jake and Brendan talk about drawing cards in board games in two parts. Part one is all the reasons why drawing cards is so much fun. Part two is a discussion of the levers that designers can pull when designing card draw into their games. Timestamps Intro - 0:00 Why Drawing Cards is Fun (Part One) - 2:37 Designing Card Draw (Part Two) - 35:22   Games Mentioned Keyforge, yugioh, Magic: the Gathering, Incan Gold, High Society, Enchanted Plumes, Exploding Kittens, Terraforming Mars, Netrunner, Ark Nova, Schoten Totten, Circus Flocati, Brass, and more.   Preplanners Guild of Merchant Explorers will be our next deep dive.   Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/.  Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Rules Overview Music:  Way Home by Tokyo Music Walker https://soundcloud.com/user-356546060​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/tokyo-music-walker-way...​ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/pJThZlOuDtI Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee!

Brendan and Pete dive deep into how board games can act as a canvas for self-expression. They explore identity, personal storytelling, and the impact of game mechanics on player interactions. Character selection in games like BattleCON showcases individual strategies, while emergent storytelling in titles like Oath allows for collaborative narratives. The significance of expression shines through auction gameplay in Modern Art, where creative pitches take center stage. The discussion also highlights RPGs for their rich storytelling and character embodiment.

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 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 Intro and Simultaneous Play - 0:00 Fromage Deep Dive - 23:28   Games Mentioned  El Grande, Five Tribes, Wingspan, Dominion, Haggis, Earth, Tiny Towns, Race for the Galaxy, Fuse, Escape from the Cursed Temple, Atlantis Rising, Slay the Spire, Spot It, Kites, The Mind, Fit to Print, Galaxy Trucker, Pendulum, Bananagrams, Scrabble, Sushi Go, 7 Wonders, Stamp Swap, Fantastic Factories, Isle of Skye, Tzolkin, and more.   Preplanners Possibly covering Guild of Merchant explorers soon.   Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/.  Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Rules Overview Music:  Way Home by Tokyo Music Walker https://soundcloud.com/user-356546060​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/tokyo-music-walker-way...​ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/pJThZlOuDtI Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee!

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 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 of Innovation.   Timestamps Business - 0:00 Sequels, Expansions, and Reimplementations - 2:51 Age of Innovation - 26:14 Special announcement (Crits and Tricks) - 1:07:12   Games Mentioned Age of Innovation, Wingspan, Wyrmspan, Finspan, Azul, Feast for Odin, and more   Preplanners Age of Innovation and Fromage coming up soon as deep dives!   Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/.  Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Rules Overview Music:  Way Home by Tokyo Music Walker https://soundcloud.com/user-356546060​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/tokyo-music-walker-way...​ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/pJThZlOuDtI Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee!

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 201 - What We Talk About When We Talk About Action Point Systems It's a throwback to the early days of Decision Space. Jake and Brendan have a wide-ranging, loosely planned conversation about a topic in board games. Today that topic is action point systems, which we've explored recently in Tikal and Mexica. We also bring cooperative games into the conversation and think about implication of action points for game design. All aboard! The Interdecisional Spaceship sets off for the next 200 episodes.   Games Mentioned Tikal, Mexica, Torres, Pandemic, Arkham Horror: the Living Card Game, Tigris & Euphrates, and more.   Preplanners Age of Innovation and Fromage coming up soon as deep dives!   Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/.  Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Rules Overview Music:  Way Home by Tokyo Music Walker https://soundcloud.com/user-356546060​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/tokyo-music-walker-way...​ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/pJThZlOuDtI Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee!

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 200 - Our Favorite Board Game Decisions The big 200! We take the opportunity to share our favorite decisions in board games with all 4 hosts! Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 5:59 - Our Favorite Decisions    Games Mentioned Briefly Race for the Galaxy, Avalon, The Resistance, Skull, Coup, Game of Thrones, Dune Imperium Uprising, Dune, Big Top, For Sale, Isle of Skye, Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Key Harvest, Lunarchitects, Glen Moore 2, Heaven and Ale, First in Flight, Ticket to Ride, Dominion, Star Realms, Palaces of Carrara, Kodama, Herbaceous, Coloretto, Yummy World, Dice Heist, Foundations of Rome, Ra, Barenpark, Castles of Burgundy, Civolution, Voyages of Marco Polo, Troyes, Magic: the Gathering, Broom Service, Babylonia   Preplanners Age of Innovation likely to be the next game featured for a deep dive!   Music and Sound Credits Thank you to Hembree for our intro and outro music from their song Reach Out. You can listen to the full song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuuRPfOyMw&list=TLGGFNH7VEDPgwgyNTA4MjAyMQ&t=3s You can find more information about Hembree at https://www.hembreemusic.com/.  Thank you to Flash Floods for use of their song Palm of Your Hand as a sting from their album Halfway to Anywhere: https://open.spotify.com/album/2fE6LrqzNDKPYWyS5evh3K?si=CCjdAGmeSnOOEui6aV3_nA Rules Overview Music:  Way Home by Tokyo Music Walker https://soundcloud.com/user-356546060​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/tokyo-music-walker-way...​ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/pJThZlOuDtI Intermission Music: music elevator ext part 1/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Contact Follow and reach us on social media on Bluesky @decisionspace.bsky.social. If you prefer email, then hit us up at decisionspa@gmail.com. This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com. Byeee!