Decision Space

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
59:20- fun
1:04:30- learning rules
1:14:00- designing historical games

 

Games Mentioned

Oath, Root, Arcs, John Company

 

Preplanners

Next week we are doing a deep dive on Bus!

 

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

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 [email protected].

This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com.

Byeee!

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.  

(also just a warning, Pete's dog wouldn't shut up during the recording of this)

 

Timestamps

3:00- defining Euros
12:45- modern vs old school
55:00- categorizing the BGG top 100

 

Preplanners

Next week we are doing a deep dive on Bus!

 

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

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 [email protected].

This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com.

Byeee!

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- Unlock
26:15- Lord of the Rings Trick-Taking Games
31:30- Babylonia
34:30- Santiago
39:15- Cozy Stickerville
44:55- Old King's Crown
49:15- Root
52:45- El Grande
57:15- The Castles of Mad King Ludwig
1:02:45- Nokosu Dice
1:09:30- Tag Team
1:14:15- Tikal
1:19:30- Ra / Priests of Ra
1:24:10- Root
1:27:30- The Resistance

 

Preplanners

Next week we discuss what the term "Euro game" means today!

 

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

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 [email protected].

This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com.

Byeee!

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- Fox in the Forest
38:20- Renature
42:20- Skyrise
46:50- Dune Imperium Uprising
51:20- El Grande
53:30- Lost Cities
58:20- Fromage / Formaggio
1:01:50- Ito
1:05:40- My City
1:09:00- Nokosu Dice
1:13:00- Heat
1:16:20- Arcs
1:21:30- Keyflower

 

Preplanners

Top 5 of all time is 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&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

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 [email protected].

This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com.

Byeee!

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 after this episode to write an article about game depth.  Read it here: https://www.decisionspacepodcast.com/articles/going-deep-on-depth-in-games 

 

Timestamps

2:15- game depth and complexity
41:15- high luck, high skill games

 

Preplanners

The next two weeks will be the annual countdown of our top 10 games of all time!

 

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

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 [email protected].

This information is all available along with episodes at our new website decisionspacepodcast.com.

Byeee!