Every so often, a game system not only gets a second try, but entirely wallops its original incarnation. That's the case with Quinn Brander's Rebuilding Chicago, which remakes Rebuilding Seattle with such aplomb that I called it "pretty much perfect." (I called it that to myself, right now, so I could quote it.) For today's Space-Cast!, we're joined by Quinn to discuss how he improved a game that's still on store shelves, what some folks might prefer about the original, and the little touches that go into making a successful sequel. 

Ever wanted to play a game that would make you feel strange feelings about your childhood religion? Heyo, Greg Loring-Albright's Keep the Faith is the title for you! In this conversation, Greg joins us to discuss whether board games or role-playing games are better, our respective religious traumas and hopes, and how a board game might prove illuminating of historical forces. You know, light chit-chat! 

 Poop! Spies! What do they have in common? Both are featured in board games designed by Jon Teixeira Moffat, naturally. On today's Space-Cast!, we're joined by Jon to discuss the long development of both Night Soil and Burned, the hidden cost of labor, and cinematic hidden movement games.

Governance and Liberty — in translation, those are the titles of Shasn and Azadi, Zain Memon's peculiar but timely board games about politics. Today, we're joined by Memon himself to discuss both titles, plus the function of play as our most ancient form of education, the value of cynicism and evil in games, and what else the auteur has been working on lately.

Most people know Zach Barth as the founder of Zachtronics, purveyor of digital playthings such as SpaceChem, Opus Magnum, and EXAPUNKS. But we are not most people. Instead, we're here to speak with Zach about his analog games: The Lucky Seven (and the Depot expansion), Chemistry Set, and the scratch-off puzzle pack Zach Attack! That's right. We've got the good stuff.

Transforming a work of literature into a trick-taking game is no mean feat, especially when that work is as influential as The Lord of the Rings. Today, we're joined by Bryan Bornmueller, creator of the trick-taking versions of both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. Listen in as we discuss our background with both Tolkien and trick-taking, the difficulties of adaptation, and what's coming next. 

Ah, Napoleon. Old Boney. Roll'n'Bones. The Bone Zone. The guy's got a lot of nicknames, and even more board games! The latest, and one of the most intriguing, is Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars, codesigned by Paolo Mori and Alessandro Zucchini. Today on the Space-Cast!, we dive into the creation of this approachable hex-and-counter title, including its creators' aversion to combat results tables, their choice of battles, and why they decided to publish under their own label. 

Not many board games are as mysterious as City of Six Moons. Is it a puzzle? A working board game? A grift? To answer those questions and many more, today we're joined by Amabel Holland to discuss her oddest title yet, the joys and perils of translation, and her recent efforts to preserve board games that have fallen out of fashion.

By now you've likely heard of Vantage, the ambition first-person exploration game about surviving and thriving on an alien planet. For today's Space-Cast!, we're joined by Jamey Stegmaier to discuss the eight-year inception, development, and eventual appearance of this wonderful and strange artifact. Along the way, we discuss Vantage's inspirations, how design constraints can engender greater freedom, and games within games. 

Computers! They're always doing pesky things like falling in love. For today's episode, we're joined by Michael Yang to discuss Compile, his hit lane-battler that sees two rival programs compete to expand their nascent sentience. Along the way we discuss the game's inception during the pandemic, the joys of nailing that first pitch, and the heartbreak of having your publisher dissolved by venture capital.