A Renewed Love for Nature While Relaxing with Meadow
Go on a leisurely stroll to enjoy the beauty of nature with all manner of flora, fauna, and treasures in Meadow.
Was there ever a question that this board game was for me?! Ha! Meadow took a little extra time to arrive, yet the level of excitement about getting it to my table blossomed right from the start. It jumped ahead of some older solo games I could have tried out… But I love embracing the joy of a highly anticipated new game. Off to explore nature!
Game Overview
Game Name: Meadow
Publication Year: 2021
Designer: Klemens Kalicki
Artists: Karolina Kijak and Katarzyna Fiebiger
Publisher: Rebel Studio
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Such charming artwork! This is all about taking a walk through nature and collecting memories along the way. Areas take shape through symbol requirements to create small food chains, while sights and trinkets might also contribute to the experience. Simple and beautiful!
First Play
March 12, 2022
Complexity
2
Latest Play
September 14, 2025
Expansions
1
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
18
Play Time
1 Hour
High Score
75
Game Area
46" x 22"
Low Score
40
Hidden Treasures
By far, the iconic artwork is bright and colorful, depicting all sorts of animals and plants. Yet I was surprised by the beauty of the main board in its own hidden way.
All of the cards fit on top of these slots, so the only times this subdued scene is viewable are during setup and the reset halfway through each play. Still so pretty!
These small details are always appreciated. Even the card holders for the various decks are simply gorgeous.
I dug into the rules, which were straightforward and easy to follow along with. How eager I was to stroll onward!
Delightful Choices
Words can’t describe how absolutely lovely this artwork is! Every card is unique, and they all flow together.
Simple environments take shape and grow with each turn. Choosing new cards comes down to placing numbered tokens in the notches to point to the chosen card.
Special actions also provide other ways to continue on a stroll, possibly placing 2 cards at once or picking any card.
In the solo mode, the unused tokens are all randomized and slowly fill in the area. There is a competition in the points department, although it’s quite easy and relaxed.
A Walk to Remember
More appreciation for the small details! The round tracker is easy enough to follow along with, but the hiker meeple adds even more to the charm. Such a clever addition!
The trio of goals tripped me up a little bit, since it involved taking a special action at the right time to place any of my scoring tokens. Tricky, yet still not a source of stress.
I enjoyed the way the entire area cleared out halfway through, and a new deck entered play for more variety.
My little treks into the wilderness lasted a little longer than I expected, yet I loved the relaxing atmosphere.
Stacking the Cards
As I collected more and more cards, the placement was extremely important. The set of requirements provided a path forward for me to plan against, but not always!
For instance, a new card hid any symbols on the card underneath it. Had I stacked another card on the far right, I no longer would have the bird symbol to work with.
It wasn’t complicated, yet I found myself planning out a lot of turns. New cards tossed some strategies right out!
Another bonus was the pleasant way these cards all worked together to create efficient little food chains.
The Benefits of Lengthier Relaxing Solo Games
In general, my collection of relaxing solo games typically focuses on the quicker variety. Plays last maybe 5-15 minutes at the most, allowing me to reset and not put too much stock into the outcomes. There are certainly times when I want to invest hours into trying to outwit the toughest solo opponent, yet a relaxing solo game is vital in my regular lineup!
Surprisingly, these plays lasted around 40-45 minutes each. That’s typically the length I look at for deeper games that feel more challenging. To have a fairly quiet game last that long can be problematic, especially when it feels like that time wasn’t spent working hard to reach a high score. Yet in this case, it felt very different from letting the time pass by.
Lightweight games that take too long to play can feel like they drag on or don’t do much to challenge the mind. I did get the sense that this could become repetitive after a few plays… But that artwork! This was a world I could step into at any point simply to enjoy the scenery. After all, that’s a lot of what nature is: Appreciating the details as time flies by.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1 and 2
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 55-31 and 61-50 (2 Wins)
What a beautiful final assortment! Aside from the plants and animals I saw, there were sweeping scenes from nature and little treasures I collected along the way. My scores were right near the highest tier, leading me to check on the solo opponent and find some ways to increase the difficulty level. I’ll definitely be back to play again soon with a few tweaks! Overall, though, this was the perfectly relaxing game I hoped it would be.
%
10 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
10
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
9
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
8
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
8
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- Every piece of artwork is simply beautiful down to the very last detail and sense of natural beauty.
- The symbols provide a straightforward mechanic to building up each area to collect more victory points.
- Since the solo opponent is quite random, it can be strategic to choose where to place tokens or when to take cards.
- Gameplay might seem a little long for a lighter game, yet it simulates a relaxing walk through nature perfectly.
- All of the components fit inside the included insert nicely, and every deck of cards has its own sturdy holder.
- Facts are provided for each card and with so many included, the variability is quite high from play to play.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Many times, the solo opponent is a little too random and ends up with cards that aren’t worth victory points.
- Although seeing all of the cards is fun, the overall gameplay is pretty similar and multiple plays can be repetitive.
- The play area can spread out a little too much with the way the cards are placed and stacked vertically.
- With bad luck, some symbols can be next to impossible to find and discarding 2 cards to replace an icon is costly.
Victory Conditions
Score 70+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 80%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 55 points.
Score at least 60 points.
Score at least 65 points.
Score at least 70 points.
Score at least 75 points.
Continue the Conversation
What are your thoughts about Meadow? Are there any other relaxing solo games that have surprised you? Despite me mentioning that I would like to explore ways to increase the difficulty level, I loved this one! I got lost on my nature walks and enjoyed learning a little bit about each card. Can’t wait to see what my next outdoor adventure will look like!
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