
Vox Republica 116: North Wind (Is Totally Not A Pirate Game)
04/21/16 • 78 min
Length: 1:18:17
Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Stitcher | Download Episode
Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!
We post new episodes every other Thursday, with each episode being about 45 minutes long.
Vox Republica is proudly supported by our Patreon. Consider contributing today!
DESCRIPTION: This week, Erin and Ryan review the game North Wind - which is absolutely not a pirate game. They also dive into the cesspool that is sexism in gaming, but then shine some positive light on the hobby with a discussion of a recent gaming charity event!
GUEST: None
RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (01:03):
- Apotheca by Knapsack Games & Renegade Game Studios
- Odin's Ravens by Osprey Games
- Mottainai by Asmadi Games
- ETI: Estimated Time to Invasion by Eye-Level Entertainment
- The Grizzled by Cool Mini Or Not
QUICK TOPICS - (24:45):
- We address the recent ongoing issues regarding harassment in gaming. Hold on to your hats.
- But to make up for it, we recap our time at the Home Away Boston gaming charity day. There is hope!
- Plus we mention our next convention appearances.
REVIEW - (43:25):
- This week we wade right in to the lightweight but super visually-appealing sailing game North Wind by Z-Man Games. In this 2-4 player game, each person is the admiral of a ship - who are totally not pirates - looking to help a trio of pirate-ransacked islands get back on their feet. Each island comes with its own set of needs, from money and wine, to basic foods, to the capturing of the very pirates responsible for their plight. Your goal is to be the first ship to successfully complete 8 or 10 tasks, depending on player size. To do this, you take turns sailing around the waters of these different islands (each represented by a stack of randomly assigned tiles). Each tile allows you to buy and sell the game's five basic resources or purchase equipment to upgrade your 3-D ship with more crew, faster sails, and more cannons - all of which fit right on the ship itself. Of course, you can also run into the pirates themselves, which results in a battle of a few success/fail dice roll. With excellent component quality, striking table presence, straightforward rules, and copious replayability, we dive into why North Wind is such a successful hour of casual gaming entertainment.
PLUGS - (1:17:23):
- As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos and the
Length: 1:18:17
Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Stitcher | Download Episode
Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!
We post new episodes every other Thursday, with each episode being about 45 minutes long.
Vox Republica is proudly supported by our Patreon. Consider contributing today!
DESCRIPTION: This week, Erin and Ryan review the game North Wind - which is absolutely not a pirate game. They also dive into the cesspool that is sexism in gaming, but then shine some positive light on the hobby with a discussion of a recent gaming charity event!
GUEST: None
RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (01:03):
- Apotheca by Knapsack Games & Renegade Game Studios
- Odin's Ravens by Osprey Games
- Mottainai by Asmadi Games
- ETI: Estimated Time to Invasion by Eye-Level Entertainment
- The Grizzled by Cool Mini Or Not
QUICK TOPICS - (24:45):
- We address the recent ongoing issues regarding harassment in gaming. Hold on to your hats.
- But to make up for it, we recap our time at the Home Away Boston gaming charity day. There is hope!
- Plus we mention our next convention appearances.
REVIEW - (43:25):
- This week we wade right in to the lightweight but super visually-appealing sailing game North Wind by Z-Man Games. In this 2-4 player game, each person is the admiral of a ship - who are totally not pirates - looking to help a trio of pirate-ransacked islands get back on their feet. Each island comes with its own set of needs, from money and wine, to basic foods, to the capturing of the very pirates responsible for their plight. Your goal is to be the first ship to successfully complete 8 or 10 tasks, depending on player size. To do this, you take turns sailing around the waters of these different islands (each represented by a stack of randomly assigned tiles). Each tile allows you to buy and sell the game's five basic resources or purchase equipment to upgrade your 3-D ship with more crew, faster sails, and more cannons - all of which fit right on the ship itself. Of course, you can also run into the pirates themselves, which results in a battle of a few success/fail dice roll. With excellent component quality, striking table presence, straightforward rules, and copious replayability, we dive into why North Wind is such a successful hour of casual gaming entertainment.
PLUGS - (1:17:23):
- As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos and the
Previous Episode

Vox Republica 115: What Is Indie?
Episode 115: What IS Indie?
Length: 59:03
Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Stitcher | Download Episode
Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!
We post new episodes every other Thursday, with each episode being about 45 minutes long.
Vox Republica is proudly supported by our Patreon. Consider contributing today!
DESCRIPTION: Indie gaming. Chances are you've heard this term casually mentioned throughout the gaming world. But...what does that mean exactly? Erin and Ryan break down the term “indie.” What qualities does an indie game or company have to have, and when does an indie turn into a small publisher, big publisher, or mega-hit?
GUEST: None
RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (01:13):
- Hearts Blazing by Games By Play Date
- Pandemic Legacy by Z-Man Games
- Takenoko by Asmodee Editions
- Quadropolis by Days of Wonder
- Green Deal by Karma Games
QUICK TOPICS - (23:14):
- Privateer Press has announced on the heels of the Asmodee changes to its distribution rules that it too will be limiting distribution to online retailers.
- The CR will be participating in the Home Away Boston gaming charity event being hosted by the gang at The Cardboard Jungle podcast to raise money for cancer patients while undergoing treatment. It's for a good cause and they'll be giving numerous games away as prizes. Best part: you don't have to attend to participate. Consider making a donation today!
FEATURED TOPIC - (30:34):
- The term 'indie' is used pretty freely in board gaming, and the intention is well understood. At least, until you try to define it. So we decided to sit down and hammer out what some of that criteria may be. What IS indie? What is the line between indie and mainstream publisher?
- We consider some of the following criteria:
- The size of the publisher
- How long has the publisher been around
- The designer of the game
- Print run size
- Production model of the game (i.e. factory made, self-publisher, Game Crafter, etc.)
- Marketability of being indie
- Cultivation of an 'indie' brand
- Also, we ponder if the idea of 'indie-ness' is still useful as a term at all.
- We consider some of the following criteria:
PLUGS - (58:02):
- As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to either - or both if you really love us. You do really love us, right?
We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter, Facebook, and BoardGameGeek.
Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.
Next Episode

Vox Republica 117: Gil Hova Needs Sleep
Episode 117: Gil Hova Needs Sleep
Length: 56:48
Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Stitcher | Download Episode
Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!
We post new episodes every other Thursday, with each episode being about 45 minutes long.
Vox Republica is proudly supported by our Patreon. Consider contributing today!
DESCRIPTION: Fresh off of TableTop Day (also known as Saturday), and back from PAX East, Erin and Ryan settle in talk to designer and publisher Gil Hova of Formal Ferret Games about the ups and downs of running your own game company.
GUEST: Gil Hova
RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (01:23):
- Colt Express by Asmodee Editions
- Blood Rage by Cool Mini Or Not
- Above And Below by Red Raven Games
- Nippon by What's Your Game? / Asmodee Editions
- Ninja Camp by Action Phase Games
QUICK TOPICS - (23:41):
- We recently attended PAX East and briefly touch upon a few of the major aspects of the convention. For a more comprehensive look at PAX East 2016, check out our convention recap.
FEATURED TOPIC - (25:47):
- Today we feature designer, publisher, and podcaster Gil Hova of Formal Ferret Games. We take a wide angle view at what it takes to make your own games and the process of attempting to turn game publishing into an occupation. These include areas of discussion such as:
- How he got into designing board games in the first place
- The experiences of revisiting his first published game, Prolix
- The unique difficulties of game design versus development versus publishing
- How game design resources have changed since he first started doing it
- The inspiration behind the launch of his podcast Breaking Into Games, which looks at the challenges of starting in the board game world today
- We also touch briefly upon his newest title, Bad Medicine: Second Opinion, an expansion for pitch game Bad Medicine, which just launched on Kickstarter, as well as what his next game idea on the horizon may be
PLUGS - (58:02):
- As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to either - or both if you really love us. You do really love us, right?
We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter, Facebook, and BoardGameGeek.
Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.
If you like this episode you’ll love
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