Meeples And Wine - Tabletop Games for Couples

About Meeples And Wine - Tabletop Games for Couples

Looking for tabletop game to play with your spouse that’s both fun and won’t wind up with one of you sleeping on the couch? Join Michael and Suzy as they discover new games each week, while tasting a new wine, beer or spirit!

Publisher

Michael & Suzanne Teske

Category

arts · leisure · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Nov 2022

Latest episode

4 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

123 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Madcala Review – Asymmetric Two-Player Wonderland Game + Gewürztraminer Blend

   Meeples & Wine Episode Show Notes: Madcala Board Game Review with Love Potion #Wine Welcome back to Meeples & Wine, the podcast where couples dive into board game reviews with a glass of something delicious in hand. Hosted by Michael and Suzy, this episode pairs a fun two-player strategy game with a unique Wisconsin wine. Whether you are searching for the best couple board games, mancala-style games, or wine pairings for game night, you are in the right place. What wine are we tasting today? Today we are pouring Love Potion #Wine from Harbor Ridge Winery in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin. This aromatic blend of Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc with tart cherries delivers spicy, floral notes balanced by bright citrus acidity and herbaceous freshness. It is versatile and refreshing, perfect for a game night pour. Serve it well chilled. It pairs especially well with spicy or aromatic Asian dishes, citrus- or herb-seasoned seafood and shrimp, herb-roasted chicken or pork, goat cheese, and fresh salads or vegetables with citrus and herbs. Match the intensity of your food to the wine’s style for the best experience. What game are we playing? We are diving into Madcala 2025, a two-player asymmetric board game with a Wonderland theme published by Druid City Games. Designed by Aaron Hein and Manny Trembley (who also provided the art), Madcala takes the classic mancala mechanism and adds take-that elements, unique guest abilities, and plenty of player interaction. Madcala was once the Mad Hatter’s favorite tea party tradition… until the Cheshire Cat took over as host. In this edition, characters from Wonderland’s War join the zany Cheshire Cat’s tournament of champions. Players battle to reduce their opponent’s health to zero through smart shard movement, powerful Plus-One abilities, and Commoner card plays. Outthinking and outmaneuvering your opponent is easier said than done in this battle of wits and luck. On BoardGameGeek it currently sits at a 7.4 rating with a complexity weight of 2.13 out of 5. It is strictly a two-player game built around mancala and take-that mechanisms. How to play Madcala Madcala is a two-player Wonderland-themed strategy game where you move Shards around a shared circular Playmat, activate space effects, and use Guest, Plus-One, and Commoner cards to reduce your opponent’s health to zero. Setup is straightforward. Players sit at opposite ends of the Playmat, each claim a color of Shards, place their Doubler on their Home Space and two normal Shards on each of their other five Spaces, set Health Dials to 25, shuffle the Commoner deck, determine first player with the Madcala token, choose Guests (second player picks first), and set up matching Plus-One and Guide cards. On your turn you may take actions in any order, but you must perform the Move Shards action. Plus-One and Commoner actions are optional. At the end of your turn, discard down to a maximum of two Commoners in hand. The first player cannot use a Plus-One on the opening turn. Move Shards (mandatory): Take all Shards from one of your Spaces and distribute them one-by-one clockwise starting from the next Space. The Doubler must land last and doubles the final Space’s effect. Skip the opponent’s Home Space when crossing sides. Activate the effect of the Space where the last Shard lands. Plus-One (optional): Refreshable ones cost normal Shards paid from the board then flip face-down. Corrupted ones spend a Shard or token from the card itself and are limited-use. Commoner (optional): Play any number from hand to resolve their effects such as Gather Shards, Damage, or Extra Turn. You may also spend three Shards once per turn to draw a Commoner. Space effects include adding a Shard, healing, drawing cards, dealing damage, refreshing a Plus-One, or (on Home) choosing any of your Spaces to activate. Landing the Doubler on Home grants an extra turn instead. The first player to reduce their opponent’s health to zero wins. An expansion is already available: Madcala: Tweedles & Caterpillar (2025). How does it play with two players? Was it fun? Fun Score (1-10) Michael – 9 Suzy – 8 Will it wreck the relationship? Couch score (1-5) Michael – 4 Suzy – 4 How long to learn the rules? Time Sink scale runs from 1 (no problem after one or two games) to 5 (YouTube tutorials and lots of reading needed). Final Sip How has the wine changed since opening? Last Call We head to Kickstarter to spotlight cool new games on the horizon. This episode features Dark Tomb: Lost Temple of Zor. Zor has seized control of southeastern Alathia. Inspired by the dark legacy of Orom, he has silenced the ruins and is slowly draining the land of life beneath the scorching desert sun. Players must venture across the unforgiving Alcian Desert, seek out the ancient hidden temple, and confront Zor before all is lost to the sands. That wraps up this episode of Meeples & Wine. If you enjoyed the board game review and wine pairing, share it with a friend who loves couple game nights or mancala-style strategy games. Reach out anytime at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, or leave a voicemail at (707) 572-5282. See you next time on Meeples and Wine! Buh-bye! List of URLs with Titles Harbor Ridge Winery – https://www.harborridgewinery.com/ (https://www.harborridgewinery.com/) Madcala on BoardGameGeek – https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/414764/madcala (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/414764/madcala) Aaron Hein BoardGameGeek Designer Page – https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/160194/aaron-hein (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/160194/aaron-hein) Manny Trembley BoardGameGeek Designer/Artist Page – https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/63023/manny-trembley (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/63023/manny-trembley) Druid City Games Publisher Page – https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/32841/druid-city-games (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/32841/druid-city-games) Madcala: Tweedles & Caterpillar Expansion – https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/438361/madcala-tweedles-and-caterpillar (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/438361/madcala-tweedles-and-caterpillar) Dark Tomb: Lost Temple of Zor Kickstarter – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kozz/dark-tomb-lost-temple (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kozz/dark-tomb-lost-temple) If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com (mailto:meeplesandwine@gmail.com), at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine (https://twitter.com/meeplesandwine)) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087661563474)or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine (https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine) or call at (707) 572-5282! You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/ (https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/)

2. 

   30 Aug 2026

   Pattern-Building Perfection: Why Blood of an Englishman Shines for Two

   Meeples & Wine Episode 105: Climbing Beanstalks with The Confidence Man Mead & Blood of an Englishman Hey board game couples and podcast fans! Welcome back to another cozy episode of Meeples & Wine, your go-to board game podcast for couples who love reviewing games with a drink in hand. We’re Michael and Suzy, and today we’re pairing a bold Illinois mead with a clever two-player card game that brings the classic Jack and the Beanstalk tale to the table. Grab your glasses and settle in—this one’s perfect for date night board gaming. What Wine (or Mead) Are We Tasting Today? We’re sipping The Confidence Man from Honey Heist Mead Co. in Cobden, Illinois (Shawnee Hills AVA). This Old Fashioned-inspired mead is aged on American oak with cherries, a hint of orange zest, cinnamon, bitters, and sweetened with bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. Smooth, complex, and a little dangerous—exactly the vibe for a game about facing a giant. Perfect for couples looking for unique mead pairings with board games or podcast listeners hunting for craft beverage recommendations alongside tabletop reviews. What Game Are We Playing? Blood of an Englishman (2016) is a pure two-player, open-information card game designed by Dan Cassar (of Arboretum fame), with art by Chris Ostrowski and published by Minion Games. On BoardGameGeek it sits at a solid 6.5/10 with a light complexity of 1.85/5—ideal for couples who want a quick, tense evening without a huge rules dump. One player is Jack, trying to grow three beanstalks and claim the Bag of Gold, Golden Goose, and Singing Harp. The other is the Giant, maneuvering Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum cards to trap Jack or starve him of the cards he needs. Setup is simple: shuffle the 50-card deck into five face-up Castle Stacks. Jack gets a free “Giantess’ Protection” move, then players alternate. Jack gets three moves per turn to rearrange cards and build ascending beanstalks (six cards + treasure). The Giant gets one powerful action—discard a beanstalk card, shift groups of four cards, or reposition a single card. Win conditions check constantly, so every play feels sharp. No expansions needed. It’s pure asymmetric pattern-building and variable player powers in about 30 minutes. Great for fans of two-player board games, light strategy card games, and fairy-tale themed tabletop experiences. Last Call And for our Last Call Kickstarter spotlight: check out Viva La Dungeon! Rise of the Neckromancer—one book, three heroes, a dungeon you explore with choices, dice, and a story that changes every run. Cool solo/coop storytelling for board game podcast fans who love narrative adventures. That’s it from us! If you enjoyed this board game and mead pairing podcast episode, share it with a fellow gaming couple. Reach us anytime at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/LinkedIn, or leave a voicemail at (707) 572-5282. See you next time on Meeples and Wine! Buh-Bye! All URLs mentioned in this episode notes: The Confidence Man mead: https://vinoshipper.com/shop/honey_heist_mead_co/the_confidence_man_167353 (https://vinoshipper.com/shop/honey_heist_mead_co/the_confidence_man_167353) Honey Heist Mead Co.: https://www.honeyheistmeadco.com/ (https://www.honeyheistmeadco.com/) Blood of an Englishman on BoardGameGeek: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/206504/the-blood-of-an-englishman (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/206504/the-blood-of-an-englishman) Designer Dan Cassar: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/53889/dan-cassar (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/53889/dan-cassar) Artist Chris Ostrowski: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameartist/69028/chris-ostrowski (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameartist/69028/chris-ostrowski) Publisher Minion Games: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/13433/minion-games (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/13433/minion-games) Viva La Dungeon! Rise of the Neckromancer Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zontcogamingdivision/viva-la-dungeon-rise-of-the-neckromancer (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zontcogamingdivision/viva-la-dungeon-rise-of-the-neckromancer)

3. 

   23 Jul 2026

   Is Quacks (The Quacks of Quedlinburg) Worth Playing with Two Players?

   Exploring Push-Your-Luck Fun with Quacks and a Crisp California Chardonnay In this episode of Meeples & Wine, Michael and Suzy dive into one of the most entertaining bag-building games around: Quacks (originally released as The Quacks of Quedlinburg). They pair it with the approachable and delicious Decoy Chardonnay 2024 from Duckhorn Vineyards. The game puts you in the role of quack doctors brewing risky potions by drawing ingredient chips from your personal bag. Push your luck to fill your pot for big points, but watch out — too many cherry bombs and your potion explodes! Michael and Suzy discuss how it plays with two players, share their fun scores, and talk about the clever risk-reward mechanics that make every round exciting. They also review the Decoy Chardonnay 2024, a fruit-forward white with notes of ripe tangerine, mango, pineapple, and a touch of vanilla oak. It’s a versatile, crowd-pleasing wine that pairs beautifully with the game’s lighthearted chaos. Listen now to hear their full thoughts on gameplay, strategy, and whether this combo is relationship-safe! Links & References: Quacks on BoardGameGeek (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/244521/quacks) Decoy Chardonnay 2024 Official Page (https://www.decoywines.com/products/2024-decoy-california-chardonnay) Quacks Expansions (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/244521/quacks/expansions) The Lord of the Rings: Ascension on Gamefound (https://gamefound.com/en/projects/stoneblade/the-lord-of-the-rings-ascension) Podcast Contact: meeplesandwine@gmail.com | Voicemail (707) 572-5282

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

82

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

67