Blog Archives
Space-Cast! #40. Heading Flint
Politics! There’s no avoiding them. In today’s space-cast, we’re joined by John du Bois to talk about two of his designs that encourage political awareness and human empathy: Heading Forward, about recovering from a traumatic head injury, and Striking Flint, focused on the 1936 General Motors sit-down strike. Along the way, we cover topics ranging from triggers and spoons to the banning of Matteo Menapace from the Spiel des Jahres.
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
Space-Cast! #39. Arcing
Ever heard of Arcs? Cole Wehrle has! Today on the Space-Cast!, we’re joined by the little-known indie designer himself to discuss Arcs from a few unusual angles: the debt it owes to trick-taking, the many literary inspirations behind the game, and its unusual development process. Also of note, some comparisons between Arcs and Brian Boru, a sidebar book recommendation, and Wehrle’s wariness of Balatro. Truly, we’re covering everything!
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
Space-Cast! #38. Leviathan Wakes
What’s that on the horizon? It’s a leviathan! This month on the Space-Biff! Space-Cast!, we’re joined by Justin Kemppainen to discuss Leviathan Wilds, the inaugural title of his new studio, Moon Crab Games. Along the way, we also spill tea about the ups and downs of working at a major studio after its acquisition by megacorporation Asmodee, the apprehensions of founding an independent imprint, and the inspirations behind a game about stabbing giants in their flashing weak points.
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
Space-Cast! #37. Pax Relationships
In her second-ever appearance on the Space-Cast!, today we’re joined by Matilda Simonsson, designer of hand-crafted games Turncoats and Pax Penning! As we discuss her second hit, we also delve into why she decided to create an entry in the Pax Series, the difficulty of writing history, and how every single historical board game except hers is wrong to use coins as their primary form of currency.
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
Space-Cast! #36. How to Invest in Solar
The climate crisis! That’s a dour topic, isn’t it? Today we’re joined by Matteo Menapace and Matt Leacock to discuss Daybreak, their board game about world governments coming together to combat climate change. Along the way we discuss cardboard incentives, producing board games without plastic, and why optimism is necessary when thinking about big problems.
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
Space-Cast! #35. But Then She Spilled Tea
For this month’s episode, we’re unexpectedly joined by Amabel Holland to discuss board games — except this time, we cover three titles in total, ranging from Kaiju Table Battles to Doubt Is Our Product and But Then She Came Back. Along the way, we dive into the advantages of board games over other artistic mediums, that New Yorker article, and Amabel’s birthday orgy. Be warned: there’s a chance that this episode should not be played at work, in the presence of impressionable children, or at church. That is, unless your church is the fun kind.
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
Space-Cast! #34. Bees & Dragons
Which is more unexpected, science-fiction bees or realistic dragons? For today’s episode, we’re joined by Connie Vogelmann to discuss that very issue. In addition to discussing Apiary and Wyrmspan, we also dig into how these games came to be, the benefits of grounding a setting, and the behavioral biology of leaving negative ratings on a game one hasn’t played.
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
Space-Cast! #33. Gab on the Clocktower
How much work goes into a successful social deduction game? If Blood on the Clocktower is anything to go by, a whole lot. Today we’re joined by Steven Medway, designer of this long-awaited game about the improper use of timekeeping apparatuses, to discuss unreliable identities, player elimination, and how chaos fosters memorable stories.
Space-Cast! #31. An Undaunting Conversation
As befits as large and ambitious a game as Undaunted: Stalingrad, today on the Space-Cast! we’re joined by Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson to discuss WWII, inclusions and omissions in historical games, and whether board games are art — or at least what it means for them to have authorial intent.
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
Space-Cast! #30. Remembering Stonewall
On this day in 1969, a police raid in Greenwich Village sparked three days of intense rioting by members of the gay community. This was the turning point in the fight for LGBT+ rights in the United States. Today we’re joined by Taylor Shuss, designer of Stonewall Uprising, to discuss how his game charts the beginnings of the Pride movement, wading into the muddy waters of gamifying the AIDS epidemic, and how playing as history’s baddies can give players a deeper perspective on civil rights.
Listen here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump.
