Returning to Meadow and Rediscovering a Lovely Solo Game
Take a pleasant walk through nature, observing and watching the beauty in everything great and small, with Meadow.
Although Meadow seems like it would be a solo game I get to the table regularly, I barely scratched the surface when it first arrived over a year ago! I’ve eyed it many times on my shelf, wondering if it might be something to pass along to a new home. Finally, I took this beautiful box off the shelf to try it out again and see what these nature walks are like!
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
This is all about building ecosystems by meeting the various requirements. Flora and fauna provide stunning backdrops as the area takes shape, while landscapes and found treasures make each play a little more memorable. It’s an absolutely beautiful way to take a tabletop journey!
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
Nature from Afar
Some of my newest Calico Critters are extra special: They come from Japan, courtesy of a nice gift from my boss!
One such husky transformed into a wolf to match one of the cards I saw as I shuffled. Nature is lovely when watched from a safe distance… Omitting Calico Critters!
The lovely table presence was something I missed, and it was wonderful to see the cards laid out in all their glory.
Speaking of watching nature from afar, our backyard has transformed into a baby deer drop-off spot this summer. I watch from inside as they nap around here almost weekly.
Walking the Path
The solo mode is pretty straightforward, and the round marker travels from stone to stone. Everything flows well with the only pauses needed to consider different cards.
Objectives provide a reason to take a special action, too, and often impact the initial selection of starting cards.
I still like to take a row from the board so I have some idea of what I have. It’s very nice to meet every requirement and not spend extra cards to fulfill a missing icon!
The solo opponent is easy to run, too, although I use the Solo Game Token Variant for better distribution of cards.
Nature Stacks
Just… Take a moment to pause, like I do at the end of each play. How lovely and calming is this scene? Gorgeous, cozy, and adorable in every way. Even the insects are cute!
I originally thought that I was setting this up to allow large predators to eat the cutest animals, but it’s more a case of simply remembering the sights on a nature walk.
There wasn’t too much of a challenge against the solo opponent, although I enjoyed working through choices.
Picking up some of the higher value cards was also quite an accomplishment… Yet I just loved enjoying the art!
All About the Journey
Besides the central element of the main cards, landscapes along the road provide memorable scenes. Little treasures might even be collected, although they can be tricky!
I loved how this aspect ties everything together. The species provide most of the best scenes, yet it’s often about appreciating larger, sweeping panoramas.
For me, it typically doesn’t pay to have more than 1-3 road tokens per play, although I can see other strategies!
As for variety, each scene is so detailed that I don’t really notice anything getting repetitive. So much to admire!
Looking Downstream: The Right Time to Expand
Since I still haven’t played the base game enough times to make me wish there was anything more, I haven’t considered the first major expansion, except in passing. More beautiful artwork is hard to resist, though! I’ve also wondered if it adds a little too much to the required table space to maintain this very calming experience about observing nature.
However, I’m also more open to expanding games I know I’ll keep and continue to enjoy for a long time. I want to spend more time with the base game and have fun with it for as long as possible. There isn’t a rush to pick up the expansion, and I like that. It will show up at some point, though, and I’m sure I’ll have lots more thoughts to share about it!
I’m getting better about not rushing out to buy every expansion imaginable, though. If you know me, very rarely do I even start playing with an expansion until I’ve had a chance to evaluate the base game. So I’m glad I didn’t pick up this expansion yet… This has given me a chance to appreciate what’s in the base game even more than I might have.
Central Choices
The solo opponent removes a random card on most turns, but many choices are left. My issue is in remembering I should maximize victory points, not just cuteness!
It’s a relaxing game in many ways, yet every turn should allow for something to happen. That might not be the best, but there’s never a bad card in the bunch.
From this assortment, I’m only sad that I wasn’t able to pick up the landscape of the deer. It mirrors my real life!
Despite this being quite cozy, there is still a game with meaningful choices and victory points to work towards.
A Western Barrier
In my second play, it worked out that the western area was filled with houses and fences. It made for a nice way to keep the rest of the flora and fauna nestled away.
The last round was going to be awesome, yet I waited too long to go for a special action. In a rare moment, the solo opponent blocked me from visiting the campsite!
I might have scored my highest yet, but I wasn’t upset. The house with sunflowers was added. Perfect!
In terms of relaxing and beautiful games, I can only wonder why I haven’t brought this to my table more often!
Session Overview
Play Number: 5 and 6
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Solo Game Token Variant
Outcome: 66-30, 62-39 (2 Wins)
The wolf appeared again! I won by hefty margins, although I don’t really look at this one as a competitive experience. There might be a way to set a different sort of solo victory condition, yet I’m all about keeping these stacks of artwork organized! So adorable and pretty. Now I’ll have to see if I end up picking up the expansion to ensure this gets a lot more attention from me!
%
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 gorgeous with all sorts of details to keep each card interesting, even when seen again.
- There are plenty of decisions, yet something can always be done during a turn with the available options.
- Card requirements form fun puzzles in terms of stacking and covering some icons at the right times.
- Gameplay moves along at a steady but fairly slow pace to help appreciate the calm atmosphere of a nature walk.
- It takes very little effort to manage the solo opponent, yet the actions help provide a slight challenge.
- Only some of the cards are used during each play, which adds a lot of variety to the table presence each time.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Keeping stacks neatly organized can be very difficult with the way the cards partially overlap, but this is minor.
- The background of the card area is beautiful, yet it’s a little busy and it can be easy to overlook refilling a space.
- Special actions don’t always feel like they offer new avenues, especially since most don’t allow placing a card.
- Road tokens are rare, but sometimes the cards reflect a disproportionate amount of landscapes and treasures.
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 do you like the most about Meadow? Do you have any favorite cards you gravitate towards? I’m surprised that I left this on my shelf for so long! Simply beautiful with the perfect sort of experience: Nothing stressful, but with enough of a challenge to keep it interesting. I love animals and nature, so expect to see this game pop up some more!
Ed’s the best!
That he is!