The Fifth Meeple Board Game Podcast

In this mini episode, we’re heading behind the counter for a taste of Soda Jerk! We give you a quick rundown on how the game plays, what we enjoyed, and whether it deserves a spot at your next game night. Enjoy! Episode 116 (Mini): Soda Jerk Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:52 Soda Jerk 02:08 Soda Jerk: The Good 09:31 Soda Jerk: The Bad 13:39 Soda Jerk: Collector's Corner 14:20 Soda Jerk: Final Scores 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!

This week we're proving that great board games don't need a giant box as Tenby and Forest Shuffle go head-to-head. From building up a seaside town in Tenby to creating powerful combinations of trees, animals, and wildlife in Forest Shuffle, both games give you plenty to think about without taking over your table. Which small-box game packs the biggest punch? Let's find out in this week's Battle of the Funnest Showdown! Episode 115: Small Box, Big Punch: Forest Shuffle vs Tenby Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:09 What's on your table? 09:11 Forest Shuffle 25:16 Forest Shuffle: Collector's Corner 26:38 Forest Shuffle: Final Thoughts 28:39 Tenby 42:39 Tenby: Collector's Corner 43:34 Tenby: Final Thoughts 46:49 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 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!

In this mini review, we’re taking a shot at Crokinole! We’ll talk about the gameplay, the skill, the flicking, and why this classic dexterity game continues to hit the mark! Episode 114 (Mini): Crokinole Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:56 Crokinole 02:25 Crokinole: The Good 07:13 Crokinole: The Bad 11:42 Crokinole: Collector's Corner 13:06 Crokinole: Final Scores 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!

In our latest battle episode, Sanctuary takes on Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition in a showdown of cards, tiles, engines, strategy, and tough decisions! Both games bring their own streamlined take on the engine-building experience, but which one delivers the better gameplay? Which has the more satisfying decisions? And most importantly… which game comes out on top? The pedigree of these two games come from board game royalty but only one can win this battle today! Join us as we break them down, compare what they do best, and settle the score in our latest board game battle! Episode 113: Streamlined: Sanctuary vs Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:14 What's on your table? 14:14 Sanctuary 35:25 Sanctuary: Collector's Corner 36:27 Sanctuary: Final Thoughts 38:20 Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition 52:29 Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition: Collector's Corner 54:45 Terraforming Mars: Final Thoughts 56:43 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 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!

It's that time again for a special trivia episode! It's Pete's World and we all just live in it! So play along as we do thing's Pete's way and try to get the highest score possible! Enjoy! Special Episode 112 (Trivia): Pete's World Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:48 Pete's Trivia World 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!

You know that summer fling—you have a great time together, you can’t get enough of each other, and you’re not thinking too far into the future. Today, we’re bringing that same energy to the table with the board games we’re loving right now! It's our annual summer fling episode so sit back and enjoy as we each talk about 3 games we are in love with at least for the summer of 2026. Special Episode 111: Summer Flings 2026 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:35 Summer Flings 2026 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!

The battle continues! Episode 110 features an Expansion Face-Off between SETI: Space Agencies and Shackleton Base: Below. Within. Above. We'll break down what each expansion brings to the table, who they're best for, and ultimately crown the winner. If you're wondering which expansion is worth adding to your shelf, this episode is for you. Also check out Episode 69 where these two titans originally battled each other in one epic clash. Episode 110: Expansion Face-Off: SETI: Space Agencies vs Shackleton Base: Below.Within.Above Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:20 What's on your table? 13:21 SETI: Space Agencies 23:48 SETI: Space Agencies: Collector's Corner 24:52 SETI: Space Agencies: Final Thoughts 27:32 Shackleton Base: Below.Within.Above 42:17 Shackleton Base: Below.Within.Above: Collector's Corner 43:18 Shackleton Base: Below.Within.Above: Final Thoughts 46:15 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 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!

There's been a lot of buzz around FlipToons lately, so we wanted to see what all the excitement is about. Is it a deck-builder worth tracking down, or is the artwork doing most of the heavy lifting? Come find out the answers in today's mini! Episode 109 (Mini): FlipToons Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:50 FlipToons 02:20 FlipToons: The Good 07:54 FlipToons: The Bad 11:16 FlipToons: The Collector's Corner 11:55 FlipToons: Final Scores 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!

The Rating the Rankings series rolls on! Today we're breaking down BGG's #11–20, discussing what makes each game worthy of its spot, which ones deserve to climb higher, and whether any have overstayed their welcome. Then we'll put our opinions to the test with another snake draft, competing for your votes to see who drafts the strongest lineup. It's another episode full of rankings, debates, and board game fun! (Check out Episode 97 for the first in this series "Rating the Rankings) Special Episode 108 (Rating the Rankings): BGG 11-20 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:54 BGG Top 11-20 40:54 The Draft Whose draft did you like best? Let us know by emailing us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and maybe we'll give you a shout out in our next episode! As always get those games to the table!

In today's mini we answer the question: Can Catan really fit in your pocket? This week we're taking a quick look at Catan: On the Road, the 15-minute card game that distills the classic resource gathering, trading, and settlement building experience into a fast, travel-friendly package. Does it capture the magic of the original, or should it stay packed away? Episode 107 (Mini): Catan: On the Road Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:48 Catan: On the Road 02:33 Catan: On the Road: The Good 07:27 Catan: On the Road: The Bad 13:39 Catan: On the Road: The Collector's Corner 14:32 Catan: On the Road: Final Scores 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!

Join us for part 2 of our Origins 2026 coverage! We explore 16 new to us games and give our opinions on all of them. So come enjoy as we close out Origins 2026! Special Episode 106: Origins Recap Part 2 (16 Games Discussed) Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Origins 2026 Part 2 (16 games discussed!) 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!

Join us for this special episode as we recap Origins 2026! We explore 17 new to us games and give our opinions on all of them. So buckle up as we bring you Origins 2026 from Columbus, OH. Special Episode 105: Origins Recap Part 1 (17 Games Discussed) Timestamps: 00:00 Introductions 00:34 Origins 2026 Part 1 (17 games discussed!) 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!

Welcome back to The Fifth Meeple! Today's showdown is a race unlike any other. One contender brings post-apocalyptic carnage, while the other delivers fantasy-fueled kart racing. Will Thunder Road Vendetta run its rival off the road, or will Dungeon Kart use a few magical shortcuts to claim the crown? Let's hit the track and find out! Episode 104: Raucous Racing: Thunder Road Vendetta vs Dungeon Kart Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:08 What's on our table? 14:40 Thunder Road Vendetta 30:52 Thunder Road Vendetta: The Collector's Corner 31:57 Thunder Road Vendetta: Final Thoughts 35:12 Dungeon Kart 52:57 Dungeon Kart: The Collector's Corner 54:42 Dungeon Kart: Final Thoughts 56:15 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 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!

Every kingdom needs a ruler, but only one can wield Excalibur. Today we're sharing our quick thoughts on this medieval-themed board game and whether it's a quest worth embarking on as we tell you what we loved, what we didn't, and whether it's worth your time. Episode 103 (Mini): Excalibur Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:54 Excalibur 02:28 Excalibur: The Good 07:14 Excalibur: The Bad 11:03 Excalibur: The Collector's Corner 13:41 Excalibur: Final Scores 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!

Episode 102: Classic Drafts: Azul vs Sagrada In today's episode the Goofy Noob Returns as we battle and review two modern classic board games. Both are masterpieces of color and design. One asks players to craft breathtaking mosaics for a Portuguese palace. The other challenges them to create stunning stained-glass windows worthy of a cathedral. Both have captivated millions of players around the world. But when the dust settles, which puzzle reigns supreme? Join us as we dive deep into the beauty, strategy, and tension of Azul versus Sagrada! Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction (Return of the Goofy Noob) 01:10 Topic of the Day! 14:22 Azul 26:17 Azul: The Collector's Corner 27:06 Azul: Final Thoughts 29:58 Sagrada 44:27 Sagrada: The Collector's Corner 46:17 Sagrada: Final Thoughts 49:50 Battle of the Funnest Showdown If you are going to be at Origins 2026 and want to catch us reach out this week and we can maybe play a game or two with you! 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!

Episode 101 (Mini): Ito In this bite-sized review, we break down Ito, a cooperative party game that turns simple numbers into creative conversations. Easy to teach, quick to play, and packed with laughs, we'll tell you who this game is best for and whether it deserves a spot at your next game night. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Ito 02:20 Ito: The Good 08:19 Ito: The Bad 13:32 Ito: The Collector's Corner 14:18 Ito: Final Scores 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!

Episode 100: Music to Our Ears: Luthier vs Lacrimosa Welcome to our 100th episode spectacular! We couldn’t think of a better theme than Music to Our Ears! Today’s contenders are two of the hobby’s most melodic heavy hitters: Lacrimosa and Luthier. Tune your instruments and shuffle your decks — it's time to see which performance earns the standing ovation! Enjoy! Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:18 Topic of the Day! 10:54 Luthier 32:27 Luthier: Collector's Corner 36:14 Luthier: Final Thoughts 39:03 Lacrimosa 58:35 Lacrimosa: Collector's Corner 01:00:01 Lacrimosa: Final Thoughts 01:01:52 Battle of the Funnest Showdown! Thanks for listening to our 100th episode! We never thought we would make it this far and want to say to all of our listeners thanks for listening! We couldn't have done it without you all! 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!

Episode 99 (Mini): Avant Carde Today we’re diving into Avant Carde — the stylish card battler where every play feels like a duel between an art exhibit and a tactical mind game. We’ll talk about what makes it stand out, why people are buzzing about it, and whether this avant-garde experiment deserves a spot on your table. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:51 Avant Carde 02:17 Avant Carde: The Good 07:37 Avant Carde: The Bad 11:33 Avant Carde: Collector's Corner 12:03 Avant Carde: Final Scores 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!

Episode 98: Living the Theme: Obsession vs Rock Hard 1977 Some board games have a theme pasted on top. Others pull you completely into their world. That’s what this week is all about. Today, we’re diving into two games that don’t just give you actions to take… they give you a life to live. In Rock Hard: 1977, you’re chasing fame, sleep deprivation, and your next big gig in the gritty world of late-70s rock. In Obsession, you’re managing servants, social status, and scandal in high society England. By the end of the episode, we’ll decide which game does the better job of making players forget they’re sitting at a table… and start believing they’re living another life! Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:14 Topic of the Day! 06:32 Obsession 27:09 Obsession: Collector's Corner 29:55 Obsession: Final Thoughts 32:04 Rock Hard 1977 44:19 Rock Hard 1977: Collector's Corner 44:57 Rock Hard 1977: Final Thoughts 47:35 Battle of the Funnest Showdown 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 97 (Rating the Rankings): BGG 1-10 Ten games. Thousands of ratings. Endless arguments. Today, we enter the sacred list: BoardGameGeek’s top 10. Some of these are masterpieces… some might be a little overrated. Either way, we’re ranking, critiquing, and maybe stirring the pot just a bit. Afterwards we do our first ever draft where each host picks what games they would take out of the top 10 in a snake draft as we compete to earn your votes on who drafted the best! Thanks as always for the listens and spreading the word! Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:27 BGG Top 10 37:52 The Draft Whose draft did you like best? Let us know by emailing us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com and maybe we'll give you a shout out in our next episode! As always get those games to the table!