SPACE-BIFF!

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 […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

What’s the commonality between Shackleton’s voyage to the Antarctic, brain hemorrhages, and the virtue of watching R-rated movies? Today, it’s Amabel Holland’s Endurance, a board game about the strength of the human spirit in the face of abject misery. Join Dan and Amabel as we chat about this game’s difficult development, throwing out historical determinism, […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

Ever wondered what a translator’s life is like? R.F. Kuang’s Babel lends readers an accurate impression of higher education, British colonialism, and the magical powers of silversmithing. Join Brock, Summer, and Dan as we discuss this wonderfully dense and evocative book. Listen here or download here. Next time, spider aliens! Courtesy of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

The politics of the Spanish Civil War are complicated — which only makes it all the more impressive that Alex Knight’s Land and Freedom distills them so elegantly into a three-player scrum for control of the Second Republic. Today, Alex joins us to discuss the genesis of his game, including how he solved the semi-cooperative […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

Dan Bullock is one of a handful of up-and-coming wargame designers determined to do things a little differently. A few months back, we down to chat about some of his games, including No Motherland Without, 1979: Revolution in Iran, and the yet-unpublished Blood & Treasure. Sadly, this was recorded before I’d played Bowie. Although maybe […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

Now that Tory Brown’s supernal Votes for Women has escaped into the wild, it’s time to sit down and discuss the important questions. Listen in as we chat about approachable “war” games, the importance of understanding one’s political opposition, and why Brown chose to include a guano magnate’s whining about Emmeline Pankhurst. As a bonus, […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

What’s the difference between a puzzle and a game? Heck if we know. Today’s Space-Cast delves into two puzzle titles by designer Blaž Gracar: the 18-card microgame All Is Bomb and the pen-and-transparent-sheet game LOK. Listen in as we discuss both games, the value of nonsense words, and share some of our favorite puzzle recommendations. […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

Like everybody else, Jon Perry and Dan Thurot have been playing Marvel Snap. Unlike everybody else, Jon Perry has designed games such as Time Barons, Scape Goat, and — more relevantly — Air, Land, & Sea. Listen in as we discuss lane battlers, Marvel Snap, the perils of porting digital games to tabletop, and much […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

Once again we’re joined by Amabel Holland. This year, we discuss her forthcoming freebie game Watch Out! That’s a Dracula!, along with legacy games, textually queer games, and a transition in the tone of her work. Listen over here or download here. Timestamps are after the jump. Timestamps 00:35 — Dracula talk 3:15 — introducing […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

After a bit of a pause, the Space-Biff! Book-Space! returns to discuss natural magic vs. orderly magic, crusty old wizards vs. vigorous young witches, and Naomi Novik’s Uprooted vs. Brock, Summer, and Dan. Listen here or download here. Next time, it’s all about translation. That’s right, we’re reading R. F. Kuang’s Babel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com

Have you ever gone mad pursuing a parent’s ambition? That’s the topic of T.C. Petty III’s My Father’s Work, a game of intergenerational trauma, weird science, and scaring off your loved ones. Also an app. Listen over here or download here. Timestamps can be found after the jump. Timestamps 1.28 — the elevator pitch for […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rss8977esxb9gqspacebiffcom.substack.com