The Fifth Meeple

Episode 83: Dice, Engines, and Domination: Space Base vs Valeria: Card Kingdoms Both games promise satisfying engine-building and dice-driven decisions—but which does it better? We break down Space Base vs. Valeria: Card Kingdoms and see which system really earns its victory points in this battle of the funnest showdown. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Topic of the Day! 07:18 Space Base 17:11 Space Base: Collector's Corner 17:54 Space Base: Final Thoughts 19:55 Valeria: Card Kingdoms 29:58 Valeria: Card Kingdoms: Collector's Corner 30:28 Valeria: Card Kingdoms: Final Thoughts 34:14 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 45:55 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to keep the conversation going? Reach out to us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com—we'd love to hear your thoughts, questions, and hot takes. And as always… play more board games!

Special Episode 82 (Trivia): Board Game Mechanisms How well do you really know game mechanics? In this trivia-style episode, we dive into worker placement, design complexity, and the language gamers use—inviting listeners to play along as we break down what makes these systems tick.  Thanks for listening! Enjoy Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction 00:38 Chris's 15 Trivia Questions (Mechanisms) Play along with us! Have any great trivia questions for us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and maybe we'll put your trivia up on our podcast in the future (10 questions minimum| 15 questions max) as always play more board games!

Special Episode 81: Never Again: Worst Plays of 2025 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Worst 3 Plays of 2025 Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 80: Don't Bet on It: Hot Streak vs Magical Athlete Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Topic of the Day! 04:24 Magical Athlete 13:35 Magical Athlete: Collector's Corner 14:40 Magical Athlete: Final Thoughts 16:22 Hot Streak 27:24 Hot Streak: Collector's Corner 27:51 Hot Streak: Final Thoughts 30:02 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 41:29 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Special Episode 79: Cream of the Crop Top Plays of 2025 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:03 Top 3 Games We Played in 2025 37:32 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 78 (Mini): Toy Battle Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Toy Battle 02:43 Toy Battle: The Good 08:42 Toy Battle: The Bad 15:07 Toy Battle: Final Scores 21:45 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Episode 77: What's the Buzz? Honey Buzz vs Apiary Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:13 Topic of the Day! 08:22 A Listener Review! 09:10 Honey Buzz 22:41 Honey Buzz: Collector's Corner 24:52 Honey Buzz: Final Thoughts 27:22 Apiary 41:37 Apiary: Collector's Corner 42:11 Apiary: Final Thoughts 44:24 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 58:51 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Special Episode 76 (Trivia): Board Game Trivia Challenge Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:59 Board Game Trivia Challenge (play along with us!) 01:24 Pete's 10 Trivia Questions 31:45 Our Final Scores 33:11 Bloopers Have any great trivia questions for us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and maybe we'll put your trivia up on our podcast in the future (10 questions minimum| 15 questions max) as always play more board games!

Episode 75: The Enemy Within: Shadows over Camelot vs Nemesis Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:13 Topic of Discussion 04:49 Shadows over Camelot 18:17 Shadows over Camelot: Collector's Corner 18:53 Shadows over Camelot: Final Thoughts 21:34 Nemesis 39:22 Nemesis: Collector's Corner 39:51 Nemesis: Final Thoughts 42:35 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 55:40 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 74 (Mini): Trinket Trove Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:59 Trinket Trove 02:33 Trinket Trove: The Good 10:12 Trinket Trove: The Bad 13:37 Trinket Trove: Final Scores 17:35 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Special Episode 73: You're the Best, Part 3: Top 15 Board Games of All Time (5-1) Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Topic of the Day! 07:12 David's #5 09:13 Pete's #5 12:43 Chris's #5 15:15 Daniella's #5 17:56 David's #4 20:58 Pete's #4 24:16 Chris's #4 26:32 Daniella's #4 29:08 David's #3 33:13 Pete's #3 36:00 Chris's #3 38:57 Daniella's #3 41:20 David's #2 44:15 Pete's #2 47:40 Chris's #2 50:07 Daniella's #2 53:20 David's #1 57:06 Pete's #1 01:01:00 Chris's #1 01:05:34 Daniella's #1 01:09:47 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Special Episode 72: You're the Best, Part 2: Top 15 Board Games of All Time (10-6) Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:48 Topic of the Day! 06:08 Chris's #10 09:36 David's #10 12:04 Pete's #10 15:14 Daniella's #10 18:03 Chris's #9 20:21 David's #9 23:48 Pete's #9 26:05 Daniella's #9 27:33 Chris's #8 30:09 David's #8 32:08 Pete's #8 34:36 Daniella's #8 37:23 Chris's #7 40:02 David's #7 41:09 Daniella's #7 42:54 Pete's #7 46:28 Chris's #6 49:55 David's #6 51:30 Daniella's #6 53:31 Pete's #6 56:48 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Special Episode 71: You're the Best, Part 1: Top 15 Board Games of All Time (15-11) Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:51 Topic of the Day! 05:14 Pete's #15 09:00 David's #15 12:16 Chris's #15 15:36 Daniella's #15 19:26 Pete's #14 21:58 David's #14 25:17 Chris's #14 27:07 Daniella's #14 29:11 Pete's #13 30:53 David's #13 32:31 Chris's #13 35:28 Daniella's #13 37:52 Pete's #12 39:43 David's #12 41:38 Chris's #12 43:51 Daniella's #12 46:07 Pete's #11 47:19 Daniella's #11 48:25 David's #11 49:49 Chris's #11 52:08 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 70 (Mini): Friday the 13th Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:06 Friday the 13th 02:39 Friday the 13th: The Good 06:02 Friday the 13th: The Bad 10:22 Friday the 13th: Final Score 15:02 Bloopers *Friday the 13th is also known as Poison by Reiner Knizia Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 69: Who Does Space Better?: SETI vs. Shackleton Base Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:11 What's new on our tables! 13:12 Leave us a review! 13:26 SETI 29:49 SETI: Collector's Corner 30:32 SETI: Final Thoughts 32:21 Shackleton Base 49:35 Shackleton Base: Collector's Corner 50:40 Shackleton Base: Final Thoughts 53:39 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 01:09:43 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Special Episode 68 (Trivia): Board Game Trivia #3--Listener Trivia! Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction 01:07 Board Game Trivia Challenge (play along with us!) 01:35 Seth's 15 Trivia Questions 34:26 Our Final Scores 35:33 Bloopers Have any great trivia questions for us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and maybe we'll put your trivia up on our podcast in the future (10 questions minimum| 15 questions max) as always play more board games!

Episode 67: Creatures of Habitat: Harmonies vs. Spectacular Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:17 What's new on our tables! 08:18 Leave us a review! 08:37 Harmonies 19:13 Harmonies: Collector's Corner 20:02 Harmonies: Final Thoughts 22:43 Spectacular 38:59 Spectacular: Collector's Corner 39:51 Spectacular: Final Thoughts 42:25 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 52:35 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 66 (Mini): Schadenfreude Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:55 Schadenfreude 02:07 Schadenfreude: The Good 08:11 Schadenfreude: The Bad 11:33 Schadenfreude: Final Score 14:37 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Episode 65: A Clever Endeavor: Endeavor: Deep Sea vs Endeavor: Age of Sail Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Topic of the Day! 08:00 Follow and Subscribe 08:37 Endeavor: Deep Sea 27:56 Endeavor: Deep Sea Collector's Corner 29:06 Endeavor: Deep Sea Final Thoughts 33:03 Endeavor: Age of Sail 58:16 Endeavor: Age of Sail Collector's Corner 59:01 Endeavor: Age of Sail Final Thoughts 01:01:51 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 01:17:24 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Episode 64 (Mini): Straw Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:55 Straw 02:22 Straw: The Good 06:31 Straw: The Bad 10:43 Straw: Final Score 14:26 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

First Draft: Century Golem vs Canvas Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:59 Guess that Game (1 Star Reviews) 06:52 Century Golem 21:17 Century Golem: Collector's Corner 21:56 Century Golem: Final Thoughts 24:24 Canvas 39:20 Canvas: Collector's Corner 39:56 Canvas: Final Thoughts 42:43 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 55:08 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 62 (Mini): Skull Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Skull 02:33 Skull: The Good 06:58 Skull: The Bad 12:08 Skull: Final Score 15:46 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Episode 61: Creature Feature: Everdell vs Wondrous Creatures Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:06 Topic of the Day! 05:48 Help us Grow, Leave a Review! 06:08 Everdell 26:34 Everdell: Collector's Corner 27:21 Everdell: Final Thoughts 31:32 Wondrous Creatures 52:54 Wondrous Creatures: Collector's Corner 53:51 Wondrous Creatures: Final Thoughts 57:27 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 01:15:43 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Episode 60 (Mini): Rebirth Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:50 Rebirth 02:23 Rebirth: The Good 08:01 Rebirth: The Bad 18:06 Rebirth: Final Score 22:11 Follow and Subscribe 22:39 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Episode 59: Summon to Believe In: Vale of Eternity vs Res Arcana Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:09 Topic of the Day! 05:44 Help us Grow, Leave a Review! 06:03 Vale of Eternity 23:13 Vale of Eternity: Collector's Corner 23:42 Vale of Eternity: Final Thoughts 27:15 Res Arcana 42:01 Res Arcana: Collector's Corner 42:29 Res Arcana: Final Thoughts 46:05 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 59:58 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Special Episode 58 (Trivia): Board Game Trivia Challenge Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:04 Board Game Trivia Challenge (play along with us!) 01:29 David's 10 Trivia Questions 15:58 Our Final Scores 17:02 Follow and Subscribe 17:33 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Special Episode 57: Summer Flings 2025 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:01 Topic of the Day! 06:16 Follow and Subscribe 06:51 Summer Fling #3 17:06 Summer Fling #2 30:31 Summer Fling #1 45:28 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 56 (Mini): Scout Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:56 Scout 02:43 Scout: The Good 07:56 Scout: The Bad 11:36 Scout: Final Score 14:37 Follow and Subscribe 15:04 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 55: Pushing It: Incan Gold vs Flip 7 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:07 Buy, Borrow, or Burn! 06:20 Incan Gold 15:37 Incan Gold: Collector's Corner 16:37 Incan Gold: Final Thoughts 19:20 Flip 7 30:58 Flip 7: Collector's Corner 32:24 Flip 7: Final Thoughts 34:45 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 48:06 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 54 (Mini): Sea Salt & Paper Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:53 Sea Salt & Paper 02:48 Sea Salt & Paper: The Good 08:58 Sea Salt & Paper: The Bad 14:06 Sea Salt & Paper: Final Score 17:14 Follow and Subscribe 17:41 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Special Episode 53: Origins 2025 Recap Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:36 Origins 2025: New Experiences 12:21 Origins 2025: Best Takeaways 21:05 Origins 2025: Exhibit Hall 31:01 Origins 2025: Publisher Spotlights - Restoration Games, Gamehead, Bezier 41:27 Origins 2025: Misses 56:43 Origins 2025: All the Games We Played! 01:14:18 Origins 2025: Purchases (Chris's Cup is Back!) 01:23:19 Origins 2025: Final thoughts 01:26:30 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Episode 52 (Mini): Doomlings Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:01 Doomlings 02:36 Doomlings: The Good 07:02 Doomlings: The Bad 12:40 Doomlings: Final Score 17:20 Follow and Subscribe 17:52 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Episode 51: Player Board Rewards: Black Forest vs Revive Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:12 Topic of the Day! 07:17 Follow and Subscribe 07:48 Black Forest 25:59 Black Forest: Final Thoughts 29:39 Revive 49:03 Revive: Final Thoughts 52:14 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 01:07:47 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 50 (Mini): Trio Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:55 Trio 02:07 Trio: The Good 06:25 Trio: The Bad 11:32 Trio: Final Score 13:52 Follow and Subscribe 14:19 Blooper Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 49: The End is Nigh: Empire's End vs Moon Colony Bloodbath Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:05 Buy, Borrow, or Burn! 06:22 Follow and Subscribe 06:59 Empire's End 24:04 Empire's End: Final Thoughts 28:14 Moon Colony Bloodbath 47:54 Moon Colony Bloodbath: Final Thoughts 54:30 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 01:10:37 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!  

Special Episode 48 (Trivia): Board Game Trivia Challenge Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:43 Board Game Trivia Challenge (play along with us!) 01:30 Chris's 10 Trivia Questions 08:25 Chris's 10 Trivia Answers 14:43 Our Final Scores 16:07 Follow and Subscribe Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 47: Small But Mighty: Castle Combo vs Faraway Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:24 Buy, Borrow, or Burn! 05:36 Follow and Subscribe 06:04 Castle Combo 17:55 Castle Combo: Final Thoughts 21:20 Faraway 32:07 Faraway: Final Thoughts 35:38 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 49:38 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and as always play more board games!

Episode 46 (Mini): Lure Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Lure 02:30 Lure: The Good 08:23 Lure: The Bad 13:50 Lure: Collector's Corner 15:58 Lure: Final Score 18:25 Follow and Subscribe Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com

Episode 45: Off the Beaten Path: Clank! vs The Quest for El Dorado Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:09 Buy, Borrow, or Burn! 04:59 Follow and Subscribe 05:36 Clank! 25:21 Clank! Final Thoughts 28:22 The Quest for El Dorado 40:42 The Quest for El Dorado: Final Thoughts 45:55 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 01:03:03 Bloopers! Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Episode 44 (Mini): The Gang Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:11 The Gang 02:38 The Gang: The Good 08:14 The Gang: The Bad 12:22 The Gang: Collector's Corner 13:19 The Gang: Deluxified 14:15 The Gang: Final Score 17:48 Follow and Subscribe Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Episode 43: Unique Mystique: Tzolk'in vs Keyflower Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Buy, Borrow, or Burn! 04:54 Follow and Subscribe 05:38 Tzolk'in 21:44 Tzolk'in: Final Thoughts 24:27 Keyflower 39:44 Keyflower: Final Thoughts 44:32 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 01:00:06 Bloopers! Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Episode 42: We Crown a Champ (Part 3) Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Buy, Borrow, or Burn! 05:18 Follow and Subscribe 05:40 Elite 8 38:38 Final 4 54:02 Championship Matchup 01:08:54 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com

Episode 41: Meeple Madness 2025 Tournament (Part 2) Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:54 Sweet 16 continued... 01:34:13 Wrap Up for the Elite 8 01:36:28 Bloopers! Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Episode 40: Meeple Madness 2025 Tournament (Part 1) Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:07 Topic of the Day! 07:06 Meeple Madness Tournament! 57:31 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Episode 39: Doom and Boom: Bomb Busters vs LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:16 Buy, Borrow, or Burn! 05:30 Follow and Subscribe 05:56 A Listener Review! 07:04 Bomb Busters 20:10 Bomb Busters: Final Thoughts 24:32 LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game 38:12 LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game: Final Thoughts 41:24 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 55:16 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Episode 38: Pour Me a Draft: Castles of Burgundy vs Grand Austria Hotel Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:19 Buy, Borrow, or Burn! 04:36 A Listener Review! 06:14 Castles of Burgundy 22:14 Castles of Burgundy: Final Thoughts 24:59 Grand Austria Hotel 41:22 Grand Austria Hotel: Final Thoughts 45:03 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 58:18 Bloopers! Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Special Episode 37: Cardboard Crushes 2025 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:03 Topic of the Day! 13:10 Follow and Subscribe 13:42 Cardboard Crush #3 25:28 Cardboard Crush #2 41:02 Cardboard Crush #1 01:00:33 Honorable Mentions 01:01:56 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Episode 36: Gimme a Hand: Concordia vs Aquatica Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Topic of the Day! 05:26 Follow and Subscribe 06:03 Aquatica 22:10 Aquatica: Final Thoughts 25:58 Concordia 46:58 Concordia: Final Thoughts 51:28 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 01:03:08 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Episode 35: Cracking the Code: Decrypto vs Codenames Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:04 Topic of the Day! 04:50 Follow and Subscribe 05:21 Codenames 17:43 Codenames: Final Thoughts 20:29 Decrypto 32:31 Decrypto: Final Thoughts 34:19 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 46:03 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com  

Special Episode 33: Never Again Bottom 3 Board Games  Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:20 Topic of the Day! 08:17 Follow and Subscribe 09:06 Bottom 3! 47:47 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com

You Reap What You Sow: Viticulture vs. Agricola Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:18 Topic of the Day! 05:00 Follow and Subscribe 05:36 Agricola 22:20 Agricola: Final Thoughts 24:57 Viticulture 40:58 Viticulture: Final Thoughts 44:43 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 55:35 Bloopers Thanks for listening! Want to connect with us? Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com