Vox Republica: Podcast of The Cardboard Republic

Episode 154: Escape Rooms, Essen Picks, and BFIG Expansions

Length: 1:14:36

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: It's convention time! This week Erin and Ryan are joined by Caroline Murphy, CEO of the Festival of Indie Games, to discuss the past, present, and future of Boston's home-grown indie convention. Before that, though, Ryan walks us through his Essen picks for 2017.

GUESTS: Caroline Murphy

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (00:56):

• Exit: The Abandoned Cabin by Thames & Kosmos (BGG Link)
• Unlock! The Formula by Space Cowboys (BGG Link)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle: Monster Box of Monsters by USAopoly (BGG Link)

QUICK TOPICS - (19:28):

• Ryan runs down five games worth checking out at Essen 2017 that aren't currently bound for the US, as well as his guess at a convention sleeper.

FEATURED TOPIC - (45:01):

• Caroline Murphy joins us to talk about the Festival of Indie Games, and where it's headed. This is one of our favorite game events - it's local, it focuses on indie creators, and it's just a lot of fun. She's leading the team in trying to do some great things for gaming and community in Boston and beyond!

PLUGS - (1:13:55):

• We're raffling off a copy of Major General to a lucky Patreon backer. Consider donating today!
• As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos, Instagram pictures, and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to one or two - or all of them 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.

Episode 153: Cardboard Noir

Length: 1:00:30

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 talk about the eclectic mix of recent games that made it to the table. Then they talk to Evan Derrick of Van Ryder Games about his new title Detective: City of Angels - a game adding a new take on an old genre!

GUESTS: Evan Derrick

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (00:26):

• Xia: Legends of a Drift System by Far Off Games (BGG Link)
• Festival of Thousand Cats by Fukuroudou (BGG Link)
• AVES by Play With Us Design (BGG Link)

FEATURED TOPIC - (18:51):

• In this episode's interview, we talk Detective: City of Angels with designer Evan Derrick, which has recently launched on Kickstarter. The game is a thematic take on noir…which means Erin goes on an L.A. Noire tangent almost immediately. No but really, the conversation covers Detective: City of Angels and what makes it so different compared to other one-and-done narrative-driven games, but they also discuss the role of noir in the current political climate, the way that designers balance difficulty for players of all skill levels, and how hard it is to drive in LA.

PLUGS - (59:59):

• We're raffling off a copy of Major General to a lucky Patreon backer. Consider donating today!
• As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos, Instagram pictures, and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to one or two - or all of them 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.

Episode 152: The Business of Gaming

Length: 1:05:34

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 talk about the business side of gaming. Is the board game industry really so different from other industries? It feels like it sometimes. Why is that and where do we think it's going?

GUESTS: None

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (01:00):

• Hellapagos by Gigamic (BGG Link)
• Mansions of Madness by Fantasy Flight Games (BGG Link)
• Overlords of Infamy by Obscure Reference Games (BGG Link)

FEATURED TOPIC - (23:32):

• Whether you consider board games to be art or not, the idea that designers make poor business people persists in the board game industry. Why is this? And why do fans tend to react poorly when game companies grow and become more professional? This week, we're talking about all that, plus the idea of companies from other sectors coming into the board game world.

PLUGS - (1:05:02):

• We're raffling off a copy of Go Nuts For Donuts to a lucky Patreon backer. Consider donating today!
• As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos, Instagram pictures, and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to one or two - or all of them 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.

Episode 151: A Qwixx Episode

Length: 48:54

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 recover from their giant Gen Con episode by reviewing…probably one of the smallest games they have - Qwixx! They also talk about BFiG and some prototypes!

GUEST: None

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (0:53):

• The Networks: Executives by Formal Ferret Games (BGG Link)
• Cerebria by Mindclash Games (BGG Link)

QUICK TOPICS – (21:48):

• The Boston Festival of Indie Games is coming up on September 23rd. We'll be there playing games and presenting an award. If you're in the Boston Area, swing by and say hello!

REVIEW - (26:16):

• Qwixx is a small, speedy roll-and-write game from Gamewright. Over the course of about 15-20 minutes, 2-5 players take turns rolling dice and crossing numbers off their player sheets, but there's still a bit of strategy involved. A little bit. If you choose the wrong numbers to scratch out, you're doomed to lock yourself out of valuable options down the road. If you play too conservatively, though, you're going to struggle to keep up. We build up a consensus on who this accessible, portable dice chucking game and who should roll on to other things instead.

(Note: if you don't see pictures below, you can view them via the RSS feed or clicking this link.)

A standard Qwixx scorepad, with Red and Yellow in ascending numerical order and Blue and Green in descending order

With this dice roll, any player may choose to cross out a six on any of their four tracks

The active player chooses to pair the 2 white die with the blue die and crosses out Blue 6

A player's final score of 88 points

PLUGS - (48:22):

• We're raffling off a copy of Go Nuts For Donuts to a lucky Patreon backer. Consider donating today!
• 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 and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

Episode Special 01: Gen Con 2017

Length: 1:43:42

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: In our first episode out-of-normal-schedule special Vox, Erin and Ryan go into the details of their adventures at Gen Con 2017

FEATURED TOPIC

• Erin and Ryan were on hand for Gen Con 50! In this episode special, they detail their activities over each of the game's four days, and then wrap up by listing some of their biggest surprises, favorite moments, and why not having a marquee game at the con was actually a good thing.

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.

Episode 150: Escapewolf

Length: 1:03:56

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 talk about a few post Gen Con games that made it to the table and then interview Juliana Patel and Ariel Rubin, the creators of Escape Room in a Box: The Werewolf Experiment.

GUESTS: Juliana Patel & Ariel Rubin

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (01:19):

• Champions of Hara by Greenbrier Games (BGG Link)
• Stop Thief! by Restoration Games (BGG Link)
• Mountains of Madness by IELLO Games (BGG Link)

QUICK TOPICS – (00:36):

• Stay tuned next week for a special bonus Vox episode focusing solely on Gen Con 2017!

FEATURED TOPIC - (29:56):

• We speak to the creator's of Escape the Room: The Werewolf Experiment about bringing physical escape rooms to the table. We talk a bit about what separates this game from other escape room games, and about the design and playtesting process going into such games. Julianna and Ariel also provide some insight into the current state of the board game industry and reflect on what it's like to be extremely competitive people designing an extremely cooperative game.

PLUGS - (1:03:14):

• We're raffling off a copy of Unlock to a lucky Patreon backer. Consider donating today!
• As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos, Instagram pictures, and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to one or two - or all of them 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.

Episode 149: Card Crafting With John Clair And Gen Con 50

Length: 1:15:18

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 talk about a few games they managed to get played, announce some Gen Con plans, and Ryan tries to guess the Gen Con sleeper hit. Then they interview designer John Clair on his innovating Card Crafting system.

GUESTS: John Clair

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (01:24):

• Qwixx by Gamewright Games (BGG Link)
• Macroscope by Mayday Games (BGG Link)
• Saga of the Northmen by Minion Games (BGG Link)
• Valley of the Kings: Last Rites by AEG (BGG Link)

QUICK TOPICS – (13:11):

• We're doing a Gen Con panel! If you're going, come check out Cardboard Quills: A Written Reviewer Roundtable - a written reviewer Q&A. (If you can't make it, feel free to still leave a question you'd like asked and we can see if we can get it answered!)
• We list our five Gen Con games of personal note that aren't going to make many Top Ten Gen Con lists. Then Ryan tries to postulate on the sleeper hit of the con.

FEATURED TOPIC - (32:53):

• We speak to John Clair about Mystic Vale, Edge of Darkness, and Custom Heroes regarding his creative and innovative 'Card Crafting System', where you upgrade the abilities of cards in the game by use of card sleeves. We ask him about several avenues of this including:
  • How the idea originated
  • Why Edge of Darkness has taken so long to come to market (and maybe when it's finally going to...)
  • Where you can play Edge of Darkness during Gen Con
  • And more!

PLUGS - (1:14:37):

• We're raffling off a copy of Unlock to a lucky Patreon backer. Consider donating today!
• As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos, Instagram pictures, and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to one or two - or all of them 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.

Episode 148: Combating The Pile of Shame

Length: 56:07

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 go into detail on a few of the games they've had the pleasure of trying out, chat about some Gen Con plans, and then pivot into a discussion about the significance - or lack thereof - to a person's To Be Played game list (often called their pile of shame). Turns out it's only as significant as you want it to be. Who knew?

GUESTS: None

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (04:51):

• Caverna: Cave vs Cave by Mayfair Games (BGG Link)
• Sidereal Confluence by WizKids (BGG Link)
• Nemo's War by Victory Point Games (BGG Link)
• Lisboa by Eagle-Gryphon Games (BGG Link)

QUICK TOPICS – (26:27):

• We're doing a Gen Con panel! If you're going, come check out Cardboard Quills: A Written Reviewer Roundtable - a written reviewer Q&A. (If you can't make it, feel free to still leave a question you'd like asked and we can see if we can get it answered!)
• We announce the title of the next Board Game Club!
• Reflecting a cruel case of tragic irony, we briefly talk about the recent fire affecting the European backer copies of Lisboa.
• Also, unboxing videos?

FEATURED TOPIC - (30:07):

• One of the most frequent conversations in gaming (or reading) is how to manage the list of titles that you haven't played yet. Whether referred to as a bucket list, a to be played list, or as it's often called, your pile of shame, we parse out what that means - or doesn't - to your gaming experience overall. In this we cover:
  • Game play shaming on both sides of the equation.
  • Pushing back on the idea that such lists somehow depict a sign of your dedication to the hobby.
  • One in, one out policies
  • Time-delayed policies
  • Austerity Pledges
  • Logging Plays
  • Spreadsheets
  • And more!

PLUGS - (55:25):

• We're raffling off a copy of Unlock to a lucky Patreon backer. Consider donating today!
• As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos, Instagram pictures, and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to one or two - or all of them 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.

Episode 147: Sea Captains And Solo Games

Length: 1:10:37

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 go into detail on a few of the games they've been playing, then discuss the lingering stigma of solo board gaming. Then they cap it off by having on a pair of folks who know a thing or two about solo games: Chris Taylor and Alan Emrich, the minds behind solo game hit Nemo's War!

GUESTS: Chris Taylor and Alan Emrich

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (00:36):

• TIME Stories: Expedition: Endurance by Space Cowboys (BGG Link)
• Visitor in Blackwood Grove by Resonym (BGG Link)
• Pirates Vs Dinosaurs by Jolly Roger Games (BGG Link)

QUICK TOPICS – (19:21):

• Branching largely off of the recent article around solo gaming stigmas by the site Gaming for Justice, both Erin and Ryan reflect on their own opinions on solo gaming, its place in the hobby, and whether or not it has any appeal to them personally - and why.

FEATURED TOPIC - (33:02):

• And then since it ties in so darn nicely, we sit down with Chris and Alan of Victory Point Games to discuss the 2nd Edition of Nemo's War, our July Indie Spotlight game. A solo game based on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, you captain the infamous Nemo and the Nautilus around the world going on adventures, fighting imperial ships, and exploring the natural world. We talk about a range of topics on the game, including:
  • How they chose the theme of the game
  • What made them want to make a 2nd edition
  • What prompted them to use Kickstarter over their traditional on-demand model
  • Their opinion on the source material itself
  • And some exclusive info on what may lie in store for more Nemo-based adventures down the line!

PLUGS - (1:10:37):

• We're doing a Gen Con panel! If you're going, come check out Cardboard Quills: A Written Reviewer Roundtable - a written reviewer Q&A. (If you can't make it, feel free to still leave a question you'd like asked and we can see if we can get it answered!)
• We're raffling off a copy of Rolling America (plus a surprise!) to a lucky Patreon backer. Consider donating today!
• As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos, Instagram pictures, and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to one or two - or all of them 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.

Episode 146: Outside Trends

Length: 57:39

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 mention a certain Gen Con panel, recap some games that hit the table recently, ponder over the latest Monopoly hype, talk about the progress made (and still needed to go) with diversity in gaming, and then discuss at length outside influences that affect trends within the gaming industry.

Phew! Did we miss anything?

GUESTS: None

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES - (03:36):

• Tau Ceti by Out Limit Games (BGG Link)
• Leaders of Euphoria by Overworld Games (BGG Link)
• Exit: The Game - The Pharaoh's Tomb by Thames & Kosmos (BGG Link)

QUICK TOPICS – (17:49):

• Monopoly Gamer is a new Nintendo-themed version of Monopoly that was just released, and is being sold exclusively through GameStop for the first month. There was also a bunch of social chatter about it immediately upon release. We chat about both the game and the oddly-sudden hype around it.
• A recent article appeared titled "A Seat at the Table: Board Gaming is for Us Too", reflects on board gaming as a member of a minority group, both in terms of why African-American and Latino youths often avoid board games over video games and how even though board gaming is making overtures towards progress of diversity and inclusion, it still has a ways to go from an outside perspective.

FEATURED TOPIC - (28:44):

• Video games, pop culture, and, more recently, live action games/activities are just a few examples of areas that have had a huge impact on the board game industry. Which had us wondering: where exactly do gaming trends come from outside the traditional mold of publishers and designers. We look at a few areas, such as:
  • Video games
  • Live action activities such as escape rooms
  • The impact of influencers
  • The relationship between small but engaged communities with the ability to control game designs and publications
  • And of course, society as a whole

PLUGS - (57:06):

• We're doing a Gen Con panel! If you're going, come check out Cardboard Quills: A Written Reviewer Roundtable - a written reviewer Q&A. (If you can't make it, feel free to still leave a question you'd like asked and we can see if we can get it answered!)
• We're raffling off a copy of Rolling America (plus a surprise!) to a lucky Patreon backer. Consider donating today!
• As always, Cardboard Republic YouTube videos, Instagram pictures, and the BGG Guild are still ongoing. Subscribe to one or two - or all of them 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.