The Fifth Meeple Board Game Podcast

Episode 87: Pfister Face-Off: Great Western Trail vs Maracaibo

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!

Episode 86 (Mini): Foolish Fool

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!

Episode 85: Battle of the Beards: Carnegie vs Darwin's Journey

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!

Episode 84 (Mini): For Sale

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!

Episode 83: Dice, Engines, and Domination: Space Base vs Valeria: Card Kingdoms

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!