Meadow is a card collection game where players explore nature, discovering flora, fauna and landscapes to create their own unique wilderness tableau. Each game offers a tranquil journey through nature’s wonders with the goal of creating the most harmonious and diverse ecosystem. With a massive deck of beautifully illustrated cards and a clever card selection system, we’ve found ourselves returning to this meadow time and again.
Board Game Scores & Ranks:
- BGG Weight: 2.10
- Play time: 60-90 Mins
- Player Count: 1-4 players
- Year Published: 2020
- Game Designer: Klemens Kalicki
Game Mechanisms:
- Card Drafting
- Set Collection
- Pattern Building
- Hand Management
- Grid Movement
First Impressions
The artwork jumped out at us right away, as did the unique folders for the cards. Each card feels like a miniature masterpiece depicting plants, animals, and landscapes. The rules were straightforward to learn, yet we could tell there was depth to the strategic decisions. The rulebook is top notch as well, making it easy to jump right in.
The game offers a refreshing break from more confrontational games in our collection, presenting a peaceful experience of building your own natural tableau. After our first couple of plays, we were curious to see how different the experience would be in subsequent games, given that the core gameplay revolves around card draws and selection.
Review
After multiple plays, Meadow has secured its place in our collection. The gameplay involves selecting cards from a 4×4 grid using a clever meeple movement system – when you take a card, you place your explorer meeple in that spot, which determines which cards you can take on your next turn.
Each card requires specific resources to play, and building efficient chains of cards becomes essential to victory. We love how the game rewards planning ahead while forcing you to adapt when other players take the cards you were eyeing.
The scoring system encourages diverse strategies – you can focus on objectives, create specific ecosystems, or go for raw point value. This creates meaningful decisions throughout the game rather than a single optimal path.
The campfire expansion included in the base box adds another layer to the experience. Completing shared objectives around the fire creates a sense of competition while opening up additional strategic options.
Replayability
Variability Factor (1.5/2) – With 220+ unique cards, you’ll see different combinations each game. The 4×4 card display refreshes constantly, creating varied decision spaces every turn. The initial setup of objective cards also changes the game focus. Though the core mechanics remain the same, what’s available to you changes dramatically between games.
Strategic Depth (1.5/2) – While card availability dictates some decisions, there are multiple viable paths to victory. You can focus on completing specific goal cards, build synergistic animal and plant collections, or pursue the campfire objectives. Different strategies emerge based on the available cards and opponent actions.
Content Volume (1.5/1.5) – The massive deck ensures you’ll never see all cards in a single game. We’ve played 10+ times and still discover new cards and combinations. The game constantly feels fresh due to the sheer volume of unique content.
Decision Space Evolution (1/1.5) – As you gain experience, you begin to recognize valuable card combinations and develop a better sense of timing. While the game doesn’t completely transform with experience, you do develop better pattern recognition and resource management skills. The decisions become more nuanced rather than entirely new.
Depth of Mastery (0.5/1) – The game rewards continued play with improved strategic thinking, though it doesn’t have quite the same depth of mastery as heavier games. Your enjoyment remains consistent or increases slightly as you become more proficient.
Play Experience Variety (1/1) – Despite similar mechanics each game, the combinations of available cards and objectives create distinct experiences. Each tableau you build tells a different story, and the competition for specific cards varies with player count and preferences.
Ease of Getting it Back to the Table (1/1) – The intuitive mechanics and excellent player aids make returning to Meadow after time away remarkably easy. The core concepts stick, and the visual design helps you quickly recall how everything works. Setup is straightforward and the game flows naturally once you begin.
Total Replayability Score
Meadow offers excellent replayability through its massive content volume and variable card combinations, creating a different experience each time despite using the same core mechanics.
Who is this game for?
Meadow is perfect for those who enjoy beautiful, peaceful games with meaningful decisions. It’s found a home in our collection alongside other card-driven games like Wingspan and parks. It works wonderfully for players who appreciate nature themes and prefer games with minimal direct conflict.
The game scales well across all player counts, though we find it most enjoyable with 3-4 players where the competition for specific cards creates more tension. Solo mode is also robust for those looking for a peaceful solo experience.
For gamers seeking high-interaction or confrontational experiences, Meadow might feel too solitary despite the competition for cards. But for those who enjoy building their own perfect tableau while occasionally disrupting opponents’ plans by taking a crucial card, Meadow hits the sweet spot.
Meadow has remained in our collection through several culls, which speaks volumes to its staying power. The value proposition is excellent – for a mid-range price point, you get a massive amount of content with the base game alone. The beautiful artwork, solid mechanics, and consistent yet varied gameplay experience make this a game we return to regularly when we want something calming yet engaging.