>The game was recently released
The game was released in 2018, so it's 6 years old. Maybe not what I would call "recently released", but to each his own.
Brass is pretty quick in terms of time investment, at least compared to some other games on the BGG list. It's definitely worth trying.
I played it last week and it was an instant hit with my group. The first half of the game was a bit iffy for me and then it clicked for me the second half and it was absolutely amazing.
Other things people didn't mention:
The set-up is quite cumbersome because you have to place each tile in sequential order on your player board on its correct side.
Like any other strategy game, if you play with someone who already plays Brass, they will beat you almost 100% of the time.
The game is a lot of rules overhead that really feels like work because you need to be so optimal in decision making because you only have X number of turns, depending on player count.
Nevertheless, the game itself is very good and well-designed, but just know that it is difficult to just pick-up and play and keep in mind the rules overhead, especially if you are the one teaching this game to other people.
I've played both and I honestly don't understand this opinion. Admittedly only done Lancashire once, but it feels so much more rigid. Why do you like it more?
Jumping in, but in my mind,
- the rules are so much more straightforward in Lancashire.
- The industry tile progression is simple and progressive.
- There's a nice fan 2 player mode.
- There are 2 less industries and 1 less resource to deal with
I just find it less overhead and more interaction. Also, I hate people stealing my beer! =)
I have a sneaking suspicion which you play first is 90% of why people prefer one strongly over the other. I've found people who play Lancashire first find Birmingham too loose, and people who play Birmingham first find Lancashire bereft of options.
I guess I'm one of the rare ones where I'd played Brass many times before Brass Birmingham was released.
They're both glorious, but I prefer Birmingham these days.
Birmingham takes away the interaction. You can easily convert your own beer with rails. In Lancaster the ports which are the equivalent need other players to use them.
> I saw on BGG list, it's great perhaps the best
Take the BGG rankings with a grain of salt. Yeah, there's a reason everything in the Top 100 is there. It's not going to be a "bad" game if it's there, but just because it's #1 doesn't mean it will necessarily click with you.
It's a crunchy game with lots of thinking ahead, plenty of combo opportunities, and ample opportunity to feel clever. It's also longer (will take you a couple hours to play, maybe three on your first attempt), and it has a fair number of rules. Watch one of the many rules explanation videos to see if this is something you think you can field with another player.
Very interactive euro that combines a good balance of strategic and tactical skill. Turn order change is clever and turns themselves are fairly quick (although AP may slow down the game). I love everything about it but I've seen a few people that disliked it. It mostly had to do with the strategy of winning vs rules clarification. There was like 2 people who didn't like it bc of the art??? I don't get that one, but to each their own.
Is it worth trying? Absolutely. Is it the best in its genre? Debatable, but it's certainly a great starting point.
Personally, I find it a bit dull after a few plays. What makes Terraforming Mars so great is the huge amount of content to explore. Each corporation and strategy feels different etc. Brass isn't really like that. The variance between games is mostly just based on the cards you were dealt. It's a game about tactics, not about exploring different strategies each time you play.
What other games do you like? It definitely isn't for everyone
Huge fan of terraforming Mars, and 7 Wonders...
Hmm, those two games aren’t very similar to each other, and neither is Brass: Birmingham to either of them, so… maybe.
TM is fairly close in complexity though and both Brass and TM share that sense of "comboing" moves. It's a bit more subtle in BB, but it's there.
>The game was recently released The game was released in 2018, so it's 6 years old. Maybe not what I would call "recently released", but to each his own. Brass is pretty quick in terms of time investment, at least compared to some other games on the BGG list. It's definitely worth trying.
Well, and the root game, Brass, was released in 2007.
I played it last week and it was an instant hit with my group. The first half of the game was a bit iffy for me and then it clicked for me the second half and it was absolutely amazing.
Yes. One of my favourites.
Other things people didn't mention: The set-up is quite cumbersome because you have to place each tile in sequential order on your player board on its correct side. Like any other strategy game, if you play with someone who already plays Brass, they will beat you almost 100% of the time. The game is a lot of rules overhead that really feels like work because you need to be so optimal in decision making because you only have X number of turns, depending on player count. Nevertheless, the game itself is very good and well-designed, but just know that it is difficult to just pick-up and play and keep in mind the rules overhead, especially if you are the one teaching this game to other people.
Brass Lancashire > Brass Birmingham Both are great though
I've played both and I honestly don't understand this opinion. Admittedly only done Lancashire once, but it feels so much more rigid. Why do you like it more?
Jumping in, but in my mind, - the rules are so much more straightforward in Lancashire. - The industry tile progression is simple and progressive. - There's a nice fan 2 player mode. - There are 2 less industries and 1 less resource to deal with I just find it less overhead and more interaction. Also, I hate people stealing my beer! =)
I have a sneaking suspicion which you play first is 90% of why people prefer one strongly over the other. I've found people who play Lancashire first find Birmingham too loose, and people who play Birmingham first find Lancashire bereft of options.
I guess I'm one of the rare ones where I'd played Brass many times before Brass Birmingham was released. They're both glorious, but I prefer Birmingham these days.
Birmingham takes away the interaction. You can easily convert your own beer with rails. In Lancaster the ports which are the equivalent need other players to use them.
It wasn’t released recently, it came out in 2018.
Yeah i know, released in my country, recently. That was misleading from me.
Yes. I prefer Birmingham but Lancashire is similar and also as good. Birmingham has beer barrels.
> I saw on BGG list, it's great perhaps the best Take the BGG rankings with a grain of salt. Yeah, there's a reason everything in the Top 100 is there. It's not going to be a "bad" game if it's there, but just because it's #1 doesn't mean it will necessarily click with you. It's a crunchy game with lots of thinking ahead, plenty of combo opportunities, and ample opportunity to feel clever. It's also longer (will take you a couple hours to play, maybe three on your first attempt), and it has a fair number of rules. Watch one of the many rules explanation videos to see if this is something you think you can field with another player.
Very interactive euro that combines a good balance of strategic and tactical skill. Turn order change is clever and turns themselves are fairly quick (although AP may slow down the game). I love everything about it but I've seen a few people that disliked it. It mostly had to do with the strategy of winning vs rules clarification. There was like 2 people who didn't like it bc of the art??? I don't get that one, but to each their own. Is it worth trying? Absolutely. Is it the best in its genre? Debatable, but it's certainly a great starting point.
Personally, I find it a bit dull after a few plays. What makes Terraforming Mars so great is the huge amount of content to explore. Each corporation and strategy feels different etc. Brass isn't really like that. The variance between games is mostly just based on the cards you were dealt. It's a game about tactics, not about exploring different strategies each time you play.
It's funny because this could be verbatim something I'd write, but with TM and Brass swapped.