Brass: Birmingham
Would you like to take part in the Industrial Revolution and find out why Brass: Birmingham is considered to be an excellent sequel to one of the best economic board games of all time? Brass: Birmingham takes you back in time again, when a knack for strategic thinking fueled by gut instinct could sketch biographies of the likes of Friedrich Krupp or Richard Arkwright. Will you manage to follow in the footsteps of mighty industrialists from the era of iron and steam power?
Use your resources. Extract coal from the nearest mines to create new canal or rail links and industries. Supply iron from the surrounding ironworks to develop old industries and build new ones. Entice your clients with beer to more easily sell the fruits of your labor.
Develop the industry. Play appropriate cards and resources to build new coal mines and ironworks as well as cotton mills, breweries, potteries and manufactories. Discard cards to enhance your technological base and build even better and more profitable industries.
Be the best. Show you have a true flair for business during two distinct historical eras of Industrial Revolution, the canal era and the rail era, and achieve the ultimate victory by selling all your products and linking the greatest number of industries and merchant towns together.
Are you going the be the best? Test yourself and your skills in Brass: Birmingham!
Game Discussion
Steam User 9
Complex, entertaining, beautiful artwork, not difficult to pick up but takes a few plays to get a good handle on it and definitely has good replay value.
Having said that, this online version is broken. The game gets unknown errors all the time, the moves don't update, and sometimes you can't even log in. I don't understand how Steam allows this game to be sold as is. It really needs fixing. It's a shame because the game, when working, is very good.
Steam User 8
Nice game and the bots are very challenging
The selling action was also corrected. Now one sell action can sell multiple industires.
Steam User 3
Having played the physical version several times, I can say that the digital layout is well optimized for screens. The rules summary before starting the game is concise and straightforward, making it easier for board game players to remember the game mechanics. The understanding of the types of industries that players can develop during the turn has been improved in digital version, significantly improving the gameplay for new players and also for more experienced ones, to play more smoothly.
While I haven't tried out the online multiplayer options yet, I'm really enjoying the standalone version.
Steam User 3
The rules are implemented perfectly. As some of the reviews here show, playing this is a great way to learn the rules and see if you misunderstood something in the board game rule book.
But that is about it, the AI is not very good and online buggy.
Do not buy for anything else then learning the to play the board game properly and supporting this great trademark.
Steam User 2
Excellent port from board game. Runs smoothly, great graphics. Granted, I only have played t his solo so unsure about all the issues reported during multi person play.
Steam User 2
a few bugs, but for the most part - playable and enjoyable! wonderful graphics
Steam User 1
The board game itself is ranked number one (out of over 125,600 games) on BoardGameGeek.com right now. I've played it 15+ times and have the rules at strategies down somewhat.
Just finished my second play through of this PC version. Won the first (easy) game by only two VPs and came in third on my second (hard) game. The AI is about as good as a normal gaming group that have a few games under their belts. The game is very good at explaining why certain moves are not allowed (i.e. no coal available). The board game rules are available on PDF, which might help for folks that might want to refer to them.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this PC game to those that would like to become more familiar with game mechanics before sitting down to a board game session.