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Decision Space

Jacob Frydman, Brendan Hansen, Pete Wissinger, Paul Salomon
Decision Space
Latest episode

282 episodes

  • Decision Space

    Deckbuilding 301: How Slay the Spire Expands Tabletop Design

    05/08/2026 | 1h 47 mins.
    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 Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ClaudeAndTaylor

    Time Stamps

    4:00- introduce Taylor Reiner
    9:30- digital card games
    21:30- deckbuilding roguelikes
    46:45- Slay the Spire 
    1:26:15- Balatro
    1:32:00- digital games inspiring tabletop design

     

    Preplanners

    I actually don't know what the next episode will be about!

     

    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 decisionspa@gmail.com.

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

    Byeee!
  • Decision Space

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

    29/07/2026 | 1h 35 mins.
    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- Nicaea
    49:00- John Company megagame
    1:01:50- Oath with New Foundations
    1:08:05- Muddy Buddies
    1:09:15- Virgin Queen
    1:23:00- Big Shot

     

    Preplanners

    The next episode is Deckbuilding 301 which focuses on the relationship of Slay the Spire to tabletop games!

     

    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 decisionspa@gmail.com.

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

    Byeee!
  • Decision Space

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

    22/07/2026 | 1h 27 mins.
    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 Quartet
    45:00- Flip 7
    50:00- The Mind
    55:00- No Thanks
    1:01:30- Arboretum
    1:09:30- Lost Cities
    1:14:00- Schotten Totten
    1:16:15- Scout and dnup

     

    Preplanners

    Up next is a recap from a historical game convention.

     

    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 decisionspa@gmail.com.

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

    Byeee!
  • Decision Space

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

    15/07/2026 | 1h 9 mins.
    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, Charms, Haggis, Hanabi, Glen More, Hanamikoji, Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Patchwork, Linko, Troyes, Libertalia 

     

    Preplanners

    Up next is a discussion of deck design and a recap from a historical game convention.

     

    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 decisionspa@gmail.com.

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

    Byeee!
  • Decision Space

    dnup, Scout, and Iterative Game Design

    08/07/2026 | 1h 11 mins.
    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 draft coming up 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

    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!
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About Decision Space
Decision Space is a board game podcast about the decisions in games.
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