The Fifth Meeple Crew
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A board games podcast featuring a group of diverse friends who offer their takes on the latest and greatest board games to hit their table and face them off 1v1 in the “Battle of the Funnest” Showdown.
Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
Episode 87: Pfister Face-Off: Great Western Trail vs Maracaibo
Two heavy euros enter: Great Western Trail and Maracaibo. We compare route optimization and deck refinement against exploration and campaign progression. Only one can claim the Pfister crown.
It’s cowboys versus captains in a cardboard clash for bragging rights. We argue over cows, ships, buildings, and bonus tiles like our reputations depend on it. By the end, someone walks the plank—or rides off into the Kansas City sunset.
Timestamp:
00:00 Introduction
01:02 Topic of the Day!
06:46 Great Western Trail
19:49 Great Western Trail: Collector's Corner
21:05 Great Western Trail: Final Thoughts
22:49 Maracaibo
38:08 Maracaibo: Collector's Corner
39:40 Maracaibo: Final Thoughts
41:43 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!
Thursday Feb 19, 2026
Thursday Feb 19, 2026
Episode 86 (Mini): Foolish Fool
Today we’re spotlighting Foolish Fool, a fast-paced card game packed with quick turns and playful tension. Everyone’s trying to dodge becoming the round’s fool, which leads to light strategy, cheeky moves, and just enough chaos to keep the table buzzing. Listen in to see what we think about this small box game!
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:54 Foolish Fool
02:07 Foolish Fool: The Good
07:43 Foolish Fool: The Bad
10:08 Foolish Fool: Final Scores
13:40 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!
Thursday Feb 12, 2026
Thursday Feb 12, 2026
Episode 85: Battle of the Beards: Carnegie vs Darwin's Journey
Welcome to Episode 85! Today we’re throwing down two heavyweight Euro titans — Carnegie vs Darwin’s Journey. Industrial empire building meets evolutionary exploration. Steel rails or sailing ships? Ruthless efficiency or carefully crafted engine growth?
Both games bring deep strategy, tough decisions, and long-term planning to the table — but which one delivers the tighter design, stronger progression, and more satisfying path to victory? Let’s break it down and find out which beard reigns supreme!
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:06 Topic of the Day!
04:48 Carnegie
22:26 Carnegie: Collector's Corner
23:02 Carnegie: Final Thoughts
26:08 Darwin's Journey
43:13 Darwin's Journey: Collector's Corner
44:12 Darwin's Journey: Final Thoughts
45:18 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!
Thursday Feb 05, 2026
Thursday Feb 05, 2026
Episode 84 (Mini): For Sale
In this mini review, we take a look at For Sale, the fast-paced auction card game that’s become a staple of the hobby. We break down its two-phase gameplay, why it works so well as a filler, and whether its simple design still holds up today. Quick, clever, and full of tense decisions — find out what we think about this classic game.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:56 For Sale
02:16 For Sale: The Good
09:11 For Sale: The Bad
11:52 For Sale: 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!
Thursday Jan 29, 2026
Thursday Jan 29, 2026
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!
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
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!
Thursday Jan 15, 2026
Thursday Jan 15, 2026
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!
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
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!
The Fifth Meeple
We are a diverse group of friends offering our takes on the latest and hottest titles to hit our table. Between the Collector, the Intellectual Introvert, the Goofy Noob and the Deluxifier, chances are that one of us has a background or approach to games that you can align with!
In each episode, we talk about two games that have a common link to each other, touching on best moments, frustrations, components, cost considerations, and anything else that tickles our fancy. We often (but not always) play with higher player counts, so we also touch on how the number of players impacts the gaming experience. And then, because we just can't help ourselves, we pit both games against each other in the ultimate showdown.
Tune in each episode to find out which game comes out on top in the "Battle of the Funnest Showdown"
Chris C. ~ The Intellectual Introvert
Generation X
Shy by nature, I’m almost always the quietest one at the table, but my competitive side likely has me silently scheming on how to pull out a win. A chemical engineer by trade, I love math, science, and finding better ways to do things. As a result, I love games that present an ever-changing puzzle, incorporating some luck but also a means by which to mitigate it. As the resident “old man” of the group, I’ve built an appreciation for the joy of the overall gaming experience and can take as much satisfaction from an epic loss as I can from a well-earned win.
Much of my adult gaming history has been playing solo, representing multiple players at the same time. I love the mental challenge and it’s a great way for me to explore several strategies simultaneously. When playing with this group, however, the player interaction and verbal banter really shine, and I feel like I still come out of my shell just a little more each time we play together.
Daniella N. ~ The Goofy Noob
Millennial Generation
I honestly have no clue how I got here or why David invited me to start playing games, but here I am! Growing up I played all the classics: Mouse Trap, Life, KerPlunk, Hungry Hungry Hippos, etc… Fast Forward to my middle/high school years and you’d find a very sore loser who was too competitive and hated defeat, therefore I stayed away from board games. Now in the back half of my 30’s, I’ve matured a bit and try to keep the sore losing ‘tude to a minimum.
In December of 2022, David invited me to be a part of a few game nights where I first met Emily and Emerson. They tricked me into some easier games like Azul and Quacks where winning was more luck-based and I had a few victories. Now, we’ve gained Chris and these clowns are teaching me games I need a PhD for. But, I come to game night ready, willing and able to learn and grow. I have not been on a victorious streak in a while but I'm slowly growing my knowledge and coming up with strategies. I consider myself the “goofy noob” because I like to cut the tension in the room with comments, jokes and laughter.
David G. ~ The Collector
Millennial Generation
500, 632, 750…Where did all these games come from? As someone who loves the artwork and the theme of board games, I just can’t help myself when I see a good bargain! Collecting is fun, but playing is better! If you’re looking for the type of gamer who loves the competitive aspect of our hobby and tries to outthink and outsmart his opponents, you’ll enjoy what I have to say about most games. My favorite part of the hobby is seeking out new mechanisms and discovering how they work. Because I love to study game design, unique gems like these keep me coming back to look for both new and old games to play.
When I’m not out competing, I love bringing new gamers into the hobby and showing them how amazing a modern board game can be. This passion has led me to create many different playgroups one of which has now become the Fifth Meeple. I never thought I would be a podcaster, but I feel that this diverse group of five has something unique to offer the board gaming community. I am excited for the adventure. I’m also hoping listeners will be able to connect with each one of us given that we come from various backgrounds, ages, game experience, and game interests. In the meantime, you can catch me hanging out with my new baby girl, teaching youth group at church, playing co-ops with the wife (we are too competitive to play against each other, lol), chasing our 6 cats around our small family flower farm, and last but not least, trying to “get some games to the table!”
Pete M. ~ The Deluxifier
Generation X
I’ve been playing games in one form or another all my life. As GenX'ers, it was up to us to entertain ourselves. During the day we played outdoor games like kickball, ghost in the graveyard, SPUD, or one of the many other schoolyard games. When the streetlights came on or it was too bad outside, we were playing board or card games!
In the 70’s and 80’s I played countless hours of many of the popular games of the time. I discovered more complex game titles and I was introduced to Dungeons and Dragons while in Jr. High School. My other pastime was the video arcade. My love of the arcade launched me into a computer career along with computer gaming. In the mid 90’s started playing Magic the Gathering with friends but we still played other popular games such as Settlers of Catan, Formula De and others.
My wife Eryn and I married and started our family in the mid 2000’s. Raising a family consumed much of my time, however I still did continue to play Magic the Gathering regularly when our boys were young. As our two boys grew, I found myself playing more board games with them and as a family. The past 10 years, I’ve been primarily playing board games and jumped back into the hobby 100%.
Looking to connect?
Email us at thefifthmeeple@gmail.com