

Decision Space
Jacob Frydman, Brendan Hansen
Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 30, 2021 • 60min
Hey, That's My Fish! - Decisions Have Never Waned Harder
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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 Golf, and more.
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next week is a what we talk about episode! We might talk about donkey space or... sports?!
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (Still, still, still, still waiting, but not without hope!) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!
Music Credits
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
Track: I Am OK — Vishmak [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: https://youtu.be/KZVS1ag3itA
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/i-am-ok

Jun 23, 2021 • 1h 11min
Castles of Burgundy - Crème de la Crème
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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 to unravel some of these mysteries in this week's episode of Decision Space. Hop in, there's no time to lose.
Games Discussed
Castles of Burgundy, Fox in the Forest Duet, Enchanted Plumes, El Grande...
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next week we talk about the extremely, light family game Hey! That's My Fish! (No, really.)
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (Still, still, still, still waiting, but not without hope!) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!

Jun 16, 2021 • 1h 4min
Mistakes are GOOD but sometimes they HURT (What We Talk About)
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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 listening would definitely be a BLUNDER!
Games Mentioned:
Dune Imperium, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Chess, Super Smash Brothers, KeyForge, Castles of Burgundy and more.
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next time on Decision Space... we explore the decisions in quite possibly either The Castles of Burgundy or Hey, That's My Fish.
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (I'm going to keep posting this until it happens.) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!

Jun 9, 2021 • 1h 4min
Carcassonne - A Funny Thing Keeps Happening
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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. In today's episode, we discuss the decision space, decisions, and much more in this classic design by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede. We hope you enjoy our conversation.
Games Discussed
Carcassonne, Underwater Cities, Ticket to Ride and more...
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next week is a what we talk about episode (yay!), where we will talk about making mistakes in board games (yay?).
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (Still, still, still, still waiting, but not without hope!) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!
Music Credits
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
Track: I Am OK — Vishmak [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: https://youtu.be/KZVS1ag3itA
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/i-am-ok

Jun 2, 2021 • 1h 16min
Grand Austria Hotel - Jake Gives Strategy Tips But Doesn't Know The Rules
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 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 space, and share key takeaways about the game's design. We do it all while serving up hot coffee, strudel, cake, and wine to the masses, or at least trying to. Strudel up, Chef! Heard!
Games Mentioned
Grand Austria Hotel, Castles of Burgundy, Carcassonne, Carpe Diem, Lost Ruins of Arnak, and more
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next week we talk about the classic game Carcassonne and Carcassonne Hunters and Gatherers
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (Still, still, still, still waiting, but not without hope!) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!
Music Credits
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

May 26, 2021 • 1h 9min
BOARD GAME SIGNPOSTS! (What We Talk About)
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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 like a good time to you, then good lord and welcome, Decisionaught, you are most definitely in the right place. This is Decision Space!
Games Mentioned:
7 Wonders, A Feast for Odin, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Terraforming Mars, Kanagawa, Chess, Patchwork, Grand Austria Hotel, Keyforge, Magic the Gathering, Patchwork, Codenames, Just One, The Resistance, and Carcassonne, Catan, Ticket to Ride, and more.
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next time on Decision Space... we explore the decisions in Grand Austrian Hotel.
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (I'm going to keep posting this until it happens.) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!

May 19, 2021 • 1h 22min
KeyForge - 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 whether it delivers on its unique promise. So... does it deliver?!
KeyForge, Chess, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Yugioh, Magic the Gathering...
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next week is what we talk about when we talk about signposting.
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (Still, still, still, still waiting, but not without hope!) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!
Music Credits
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

May 12, 2021 • 1h 22min
Lost Ruins of Arnak - This Game Won Us Over
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 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 Edition.
0:00 - Intro
1:04 - Ratings and Slogans
3:48 - Rules Overview
5:42 - Decision Space Exploration Intro
16:52 - Lunch (Deckbuilding)
27:56 - Gear Up (Card Drafting / Travel System / Actions and Artifacts)
45:34 - Explore the Wilderness (Exploration & Idol System)
56:10 - Dig! (Worker Placement)
1:02:17 - Research Discoveries (Temple Research Track) and Signposting
1:16:17 - Turbulence and wrap up
Games Mentioned:
Lost Ruins of Arnak, Star Realms, KeyForge, and others I'm sure
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next week we cover KeyForge... no really!
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (Still, still, still, still waiting, but not without hope!) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!
Music Credits
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

May 5, 2021 • 56min
Return 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 new published game Enchanted Plumes, and Jake does a mini-review of Red Rising.
0:00 - Prologue
1:50 - Intro
4:30 - Where's Is My Mind
10:39 - Red Rising
18:20 - Return of the Game Night
52:57 - Wrap Up
Games Mentioned:
Enchanted Plumes, Red Rising, Pandemic Legacy, Kingdomino, Mysterium, Mansions of Madness, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Modern Art, Holochess/Dejarik, etc.
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next time on Decision Space... we explore the decisions in Lost Ruins of Arnak.
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (I'm going to keep posting this until it happens.) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!

Apr 28, 2021 • 1h 18min
Star 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 fascinating decision space. I hope you brought a notebook because class is now in session! Also, stick around at the end of the episode for our after thought (Where Is My Mind) segment.
0:00 - Intro
2:42 - Ratings and Slogans
5:52 - Rules Overview
7:54 - Decision Space Exploration
27:06 - Turbulence
37:03 - Thresholds, Turning Points, and Tempo
44:18 - Purchasing and Scrapping
1:02:46 - Favorite Cards and Final Thoughts
1:10:18 - Where Is My Mind (Afterthought Edition)
Games Mentioned:
Star Realms, Hero Realms, Honey Buzz, KeyForge, Chess, Ascension
Preplan Your Next Turn
Next week is a What We Talk About Episode. It's KeyForge after that!
Call to Action
Leave us a review and we'll read it on the next episode! (Still waiting, but not without hope!) We can be reached on Twitter at @jakefryd and @burnsidebh. Follow Decision Space on Twitter @DecisionSpa and talk to us there! Thank you for helping to grow the show!
Music Credits
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


