A Cozy Nature Walk and River Journey Through Meadow
Take a walk through nature and record its beautiful sights through open areas and along the river with Meadow.
I really must question myself and my limited plays of Meadow. This is such a beautiful game that brings out the joy in walking along paths and being surrounded with all sorts of plants, animals, and more! Although I was a little wary of the extra components and large expansion board, Meadow: Downstream was the next step in my journey. To the river!
Game Overview
Game Name: Meadow
Publication Year: 2021
Designer: Klemens Kalicki
Artists: Karolina Kijak & Katarzyna Fiebiger
Publisher: Rebel Studio
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
The goal is to collect all sorts of memories along a calm sort of nature walk. Cards of every variety form layered ecosystems, where requirements can be fulfilled through other sights. The expansion adds an entirely new deck and a kayak trek down the river… So much to admire in nature!
First Play
March 12, 2022
Complexity
2
Latest Play
September 21, 2024
Expansions
1
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
8
Play Time
1 Hour
High Score
66
Game Area
46" x 22"
Low Score
52
Down the Lazy River
So much new stuff! The expansion includes new content and a totally new way to play with the river board. I went with the calmer side of the board to start with. Pretty!
Comments seem to be split about this expansion: Some love it, and others find that it adds on a lot that sort of detracts from the iconic relaxing sort of gameplay.
As I set everything up and got into it, I saw how many more things I had to keep track of. And it was a lot.
I ended up loving the expansion, although it changed the game for me. Still relaxing, but not as carefree as before.
Budgeting More Space
I was a little intimidated by the new river board during setup! This arrangement turned out to be the best for me, even with the river cards being a little further away.
So beautiful! I had to learn some new rules and make sure I knew what was going on with the river at all times, but I fell into this relaxing sort of space. Simply cozy and pretty.
There were many more choices, although I appreciated how the solo opponent didn’t take much more to run.
And scoring changed! I only needed to track my final score with the expansion, which was a welcome alteration.
Into the Quiet Places
It often goes without saying, yet the artwork is absolutely phenomenal. Every single card evokes an emotion along with the art: Contentment, appreciation, or even awe.
And that isn’t limited to just the animals! I love the little scenes that showcase cozy homes or wide, open spaces.
Sometimes, I try not to layer a card over another simply because I like the artwork too much. Ha ha! Although there is a goal to earn victory points, I don’t always focus on it.
Look carefully here, and you might see someone trying to be extra stealthy as they peer out from under the river. Ha!
Heading Downstream
Voila! I didn’t come close to the higher scoring tiers, but I dare anyone to say that this arrangement wasn’t worth it. Ha ha! So many little things to admire, including the otter!
There were turns when I felt like I had limited choices, even with the special actions that were available to me. My kayaking journey didn’t go too far with the cards, either.
Yet I was in the zone the entire time and felt like I was building up a tableau of the sights I saw on my adventure.
With all of the base game sealed envelopes in the mix, I also felt like there was so much variety in the art!
Making an Extra Cozy Solo Board Game Space
Lately, I’ve been trying to make sure I treat myself kindly when I play solo games. Part of that is understanding the emotions that different games bring to the table, and setting up a cozier area. It’s not easy to keep everything organized, but visual clutter is at a minimum! Yet there’s another little secret I may have uncovered for myself…
Typically, I enjoy extreme quiet when I play my games. That’s always been a way for me to relax and focus on what I’m doing. Lately, though, I’ve gone back to the one website I used to love: myNoise. It features tons of different sound generators, which can be layered in multiple tabs and set to animate so that they subtly change over time.
The sounds are also not on loops like others: I sometimes pick up patterns and find myself getting irritated by the repetitiveness every few minutes. Not here! I’ve made some really pleasant mixes, too, and these can even align with different games to create their own soundtracks. Some of my favorites at the moment:
- Route 50: An electric mix that actually acts a little repetitively, but feels like the soundtrack to a long journey.
- Autumn Walk: Exactly as expected, this feels very seasonal and brings out some cozy sounds of autumn.
- Forest Breath: A random mix that creates a unique sort of forest, which sort of envelopes my play area in coziness.
- Tin Roof Rain: Only used sparingly, I still love the sound of rain, especially as it erases any sort of noise pattern.
Most of the website is free-to-use, but I made a small donation to get access to all of the features. Definitely worth it! I might start using this more often to help bring more of my games to life, while still making sure my play space stays cozy for me. I know noises and sounds can be very subjective, yet this is the one source I’ve used for at least 5 years!
Memories of Deer
During my second play, I managed to add a few cards related to deer. I know they’re not the same ones I see around here, but these reminded me of my last summer.
My backyard turned into a spot where mother deer dropped off their babies every now and then. I got to see them up close from inside my house. So adorable!
There were twins, and the one time a very tiny baby deer curled up on my patio just outside my sliding glass door.
I froze and watched from inside, maybe about 5-10 feet away. It was beautiful, and likely won’t happen again!
A Riverside Journey
Initially, I figured my kayak figure would simply be worth extra victory points based on her final position, but there were other actions and bonuses along the river.
Additionally, there were different paths for me to choose. Sometimes, it was worth it to go the longer way to earn another bonus. Otherwise, it was full speed ahead!
That “full” speed was about as slow as could be. Ha! I had a lot more to think about, but in a very pleasant setting.
My final score this second time around was very similar, yet I felt like I made a lot of different decisions. Lovely!
Session Overview
Play Number: 7 & 8
Expansion: Meadow: Downstream
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Lazy River Variant
Outcome: 60, 56 (2 Losses)
I fell short of victory, yet appreciated all of the new mechanics. It was also nice to appreciate the beauty of nature in places that might not seem usual… Like wells and houses. There is nothing quite like this one in terms of beautiful artwork and the feeling of taking a nature stroll. I’m absolutely loving this one and the expansion!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
5
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the artwork is gorgeous with not just illustrations, but little scenes that often evoke warm, happy emotions.
- Building up a tableau feels like it ties into the theme perfectly, as it creates a collection of memories from a walk.
- Although the expansion adds a lot, the new cards are beautiful and the new elements create interesting choices.
- Working towards a high score offers a goal, yet gameplay can be so relaxing that final scoring never feels bad.
- Every card can be used in different ways, and it’s interesting to see some of the unique strategies during each play.
- Gameplay may feel slightly repetitive, but this creates a very calm and peaceful game space to relax with.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There are a lot of new elements of the expansion, which change gameplay a lot, and may feel overwhelming.
- A fairly large play area is required and it isn’t always easy to figure out how to reserve the right amount of space.
- Some luck is required in getting cards that work well together, and even the special actions aren’t always helpful.
- New iconography is scattered throughout the expansion rulebook, making it a little hard to look up at times.
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 75%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 55 points.
Score at least 60 points.
Score at least 65 points.
Score at least 70 points.
Continue the Conversation
What do you like about Meadow and Meadow: Downstream? Do you have any thoughts about the expansion and how it changed gameplay for you? I would only cautiously recommend it, as it makes a lot of changes and can seem like a lot to take in. Yet I loved it! Definitely need to make sure I take another nature walk and journey down the river very soon!
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