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
34 minutes ago
34 minutes ago
1 hr 8 min
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!
Aug 20, 2026
Aug 20, 2026
31 min
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!
Aug 13, 2026
Aug 13, 2026
32 min
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!
Aug 6, 2026
Aug 6, 2026
1 hr 3 min
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!
Jul 30, 2026
Jul 30, 2026
14 min
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!
Jul 23, 2026
Jul 23, 2026
48 min
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!
Jul 16, 2026
Jul 16, 2026
18 min
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!
Jul 9, 2026
Jul 9, 2026
1 hr 18 min
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!
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"
The Fifth Meeple Crew
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