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 [email protected]—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 [email protected]—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 [email protected]—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 [email protected] 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 [email protected]—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 [email protected]—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 [email protected]—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 [email protected]—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 [email protected]—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 [email protected]—we’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and hot takes. And as always… play more board games!