Meeple Minded

Brew the kettle, grab your familiars, and prepare your finest enchanted tea leaves — because this week we’re diving into Tea Witches, the cosy-cute magical brewing game from The OP! ☕✨

In this episode of The Meeple Minded Podcast, Jason, Ant, and James give their first impressions after getting Tea Witches to the table for the very first time. We chat about:
🔮 How well the magical brewing theme lands
🍃 The gameplay flow, action selection, and ingredient gathering
🧪 Component quality (including those cauldron boards!)
📖 Whether the rulebook helps or hexes
⚖️ Highlights, concerns, and who this game is actually for
🫖 And the big question… will we play it again?

We also bring you:
📢 This week’s tabletop news (GAMA leadership changes, publishers scaling back due to tariffs, and Asmodee’s acquisition train rolling again)
🎲 Meeple Moments – the games we played this week
🧙‍♀️ And of course… our magical chaos as usual

If you’ve played Tea Witches, let us know your experience in the comments! Did you craft the perfect brew or summon something that probably shouldn’t be consumed by humans?

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💬 Leave us a comment
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Thanks for watching (or listening!) — and as always…
Taa taa, and good bye!

Jason and Ant return for Cardboard Countdown, counting down their Top 5 Alternative Gateway Games — perfect for bringing new players into the hobby without the same old Catan and Ticket to Ride.⏰ Chapters00:00 – Intro01:52 – Meeple Menu - Whats coming up?02:27 – Setup Phase - Board Game News11:52 – Meeple Moments (Games We Played Recently)20:08 – Cardboard Countdown: 5 Alternative Gateway Games01:17:08 – Outro & Call to Action

💬 Tell us your picks!
Share your own gateway recommendations with us on social media — @MeepleMinded

#BoardGames #Podcast #MeepleMinded #TabletopGaming #BoardGamePodcast #GatewayGames #Top5

Essen SPIEL 2025 is almost here — the biggest board gaming event on the planet — and guess what? We’re not there.

Join Jason, James, and Ant as they embrace their cardboard FOMO in “Essen in Exile” From the latest Essen buzz and big game releases, to sarcastic survival tips and a heated Dicey Discussion on whether the Essen hype actually helps or hurts the hobby, this episode delivers all the chaos of SPIEL… minus the airfare, crowds, and pretzels.

So grab a cuppa, queue up from your sofa, and get ready for your annual dose of board game banter, British sarcasm, and the occasional existential crisis over shelf space.

In this weeks Podcast, we're discussing some top games that have been sat gathering dust on our shelf. We explore our board game backlog and wonder when we will get these games to the tabletop for a game night. Are these games destined for eternity of the Shelf of shame?

This week on the Meeple Minded Podcast, Jason and Ant are flying solo (well… duo) while James is off sick and doing his best impression of a discarded Pandemic card. But fear not — we’ve got a stacked show for you:00:00 Intro

02:29 Meeple Menu

03:43 The Setup Phase – We break down the latest in board game news, including: Ark Nova’s deluxe expansion and its wallet-destroying price tag. CMON’s projected \$6–8 million losses for the first half of 2025 — what does it mean for the industry?

12:25 Meeple Moments – We chat about what we’ve been playing lately (spoiler: James played “Sleeping Gods: Tissue Box Edition”).

19:38 Cardboard Critique – Our first impressions of Star Wars: Battle for Hoth, the brand-new Days of Wonder release. Is it the epic battle we wanted, or just another trip into the snowy abyss?

49:44 Giveaway Draw – We announce the winner of our competition to snag a brand new copy of *Popcorn* by IELLO!---👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and let us know in the comments: are you excited about Battle for Hoth or do you think it’s another cash-in on the Star Wars license?💬 Join the conversation:Instagram | Facebook | @MeepleMinded🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and wherever you get your board game podcast fix.#BoardGames #Podcast #StarWars #StarWarsBoardGames #ArkNova #CMON #BoardGameNews #MeepleMinded

On this weeks podcast the boys are back as a trio and wanted to discuss 5 games that made their mechanics work really well. some might say made the game what it is today!

please note this episode does suffer with some audio related cut outs but we have done all we can to try to hide these as much as possible.

Following a spat of technical issues, the boys are finally back after an unexpected break away, and they are back to discuss if we as gamers expect too much in the way of innovation in game releases?They will also be talking about what has been going on, some games they have been playing recently AND due to his absence a mild ribbing of "the THIRD voice" Antony!

🎙️ Meeple Minded Podcast - Episode 214
🧩 Topic: Are Day-One Expansions Good or Bad for Board Games?

In this episode, we dive deep into one of the hottest debates in the board gaming community — should expansions be released at the same time as the base game?

Is it a smart move that gives players more options? Or is it a greedy cash grab that splits content unfairly?

Join us as we explore:
✅ The pros and cons of day-one expansions
💸 How this trend affects consumer trust and game design
🎯 Examples of games that got it right... and others that didn’t
👥 Our personal takes + community opinions

📣 What do YOU think?
Leave a comment and let us know:
➡️ Are you pro-expansion at launch or totally against it?

🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms
💬 Subscribe for more board game chats every week!

📍 Follow Meeple Minded:
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#BoardGames #MeepleMinded #BoardGamePodcast #DayOneExpansion #TabletopGaming #BoardGameCommunity #BoardGameDebate

🎲 Top 5 Two-Player Board Games | Jason & Ant's Personal Picks 🎲
In this episode of The Meeple Minded Podcast, Jason and Ant dive into their Top 5 Two-Player Board Games — perfect for couples, friends, or rivals looking to outwit each other in tight, tactical showdowns!

But before the countdown begins, the guys kick off the show with their usual segment: "Games We've Played Recently", where they share thoughts on the latest titles hitting their tables.

Expect passionate opinions, personal favourites, and maybe a few surprises along the way. Whether you're new to two-player games or a seasoned duo, you're sure to discover something to add to your Wishlist.

🃏 Got your own favourite 2-player game? Drop it in the comments or let us know on social media — we love hearing from fellow meeples!

📌 Subscribe for more weekly board game content, reviews, and discussions from The Meeple Minded crew!

#BoardGames #Top5Games #TwoPlayerGames #BoardGamePodcast #MeepleMinded

🎲 Meeple Minded Podcast | UKGE 2025 Breakdown & Game Chat 🎤Welcome to another episode of the Meeple Minded Podcast — your go-to show for all things board games, tabletop gaming, and community-driven content! In this special UKGE 2025 (UK Games Expo) recap episode, we reflect on our full weekend at the UK’s biggest tabletop gaming convention.🗓️ We break down each day of UKGE 2025 — from Thursday to Sunday — sharing our favourite moments, biggest surprises, disappointments, and standout games. Whether you’re curious about the best board games of UKGE 2025, upcoming releases, or con highlights, this episode covers it all!But first, we kick off with our usual "What We've Been Playing" segment, where we chat about the newest additions to our gaming table, hidden gems, and our current board game obsessions.📺 Watch now on YouTube🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms🔑 Timestamps:📌 Keywords:UKGE 2025, UK Games Expo, board game podcast, tabletop gaming, board games 2025, new board games, board game reviews, con recap, board game vlog, UKGE haul, game demos, board game YouTube, Meeple Minded, best games of UKGE👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more weekly board game content!#UKGE2025 #BoardGames #MeepleMinded #UKGamesExpo #TabletopGaming #BoardGamePodcast