Brass Birmingham – The Best Board Game Ever? Full Review

It’s finally time for us to take a very deep dive into a well-known and relevant game. In Brass Birmingham, we are drawn into the pulse-pounding world of the Industrial Revolution, where our every move feels like a gamble in the race to dominate the burgeoning economy. Published by Roxley Games, this sequel to Martin Wallace’s original game Brass is an intricate economic strategy game set during the Industrial Revolution in the West Midlands of England. The game spans two distinct eras: the Canal Era (1770-1830) and the Rail Era (1830-1870), where players take on the roles of competing entrepreneurs striving to build and develop industries, establish networks, and ultimately amass the most Victory Points (VPs).

From our numerous playthroughs with different groups, we can attest that Brass Birmingham offers a deep and rewarding experience. The rulebook, meticulously written and edited by a team led by Simon Rourke, provides clear guidance on navigating the game’s complexities. However, as with many strategy board games of this caliber, it takes a few plays to fully grasp the nuances and strategic depth.

Components of Brass Birmingham

Board

The game board in Brass Birmingham is a visual masterpiece illustrating the West Midlands during the Industrial Revolution. It features two sides, a day side, and a night side, allowing players to choose their preferred aesthetic. In this review the gameplay will be on the day side. The board is beautiful and functional, with clearly-marked locations for canals, railways, and various industries. The quality of the board is robust, with a thick, durable material that can withstand repeated play without showing wear and tear.

Player Mats

Each player receives a player mat that organizes their industry tiles and tracks their income and victory points. These sturdy cardboard mats are designed to help players manage their resources efficiently. The mats are well-illustrated, with clear icons and spaces for each type of industry tile, making it easy to see which tiles are available for building or development.

Character Tiles

The character tiles represent the entrepreneurs each player embodies. These small but detailed tiles feature historical figures such as Sir Richard Arkwright and James Watt. They are made from thick cardboard, ensuring they remain in good condition through many games. These tiles also play a crucial role in determining the turn order based on the money spent by each player during the previous round.

Income Markers and Victory Point Markers

These markers track each player’s income and victory points throughout the game. Made from durable plastic or wood (depending on the edition), they are easy to move along the progress track on the player mats. Their design ensures they stay in place without slipping, accurately representing each player’s status.

Wild Cards

The game includes eight wild cards (four wild location cards and four wild industry cards) that offer players increased flexibility in their actions. These cards are printed on high-quality cardstock with a linen finish, making them durable and pleasant to handle. The artwork on these cards is consistent with the game’s overall aesthetic, adding to the immersive experience.

Location and Industry Cards

There are 64 location and industry cards in Brass Birmingham. These cards dictate where players can build industries or expand their networks. Like the wild cards, they are made from high-quality cardstock with a linen finish. The cards feature detailed illustrations of various locations and industries, enhancing the thematic feel of the game.

Player Aids

Each player receives an aid summarizing the game’s rules and actions. These aids are invaluable for new players learning the game or experienced players needing a quick reference. They are printed on thick paper stock and designed to be clear and concise.

Coal Cubes, Iron Cubes, and Beer Barrels

The game includes 30 coal cubes, 18 iron cubes, and 15 beer barrels, all made from wood or plastic (depending on the edition). These resource tokens are essential for building industries and performing actions like selling goods or expanding networks. Their tactile nature adds to the game’s enjoyment, as players physically manipulate these resources throughout play.

Link Tiles

There are 56 link tiles (14 per color) used to represent canals and railways built by players. These tiles are made from sturdy cardboard or wood (in the deluxe edition) and feature detailed illustrations of canals and rail lines. They fit neatly onto the board’s designated spaces, helping to create an interconnected network across the West Midlands.

Industry Tiles

The game includes 180 industry tiles (45 per color) representing different types of industries, such as cotton mills, coal mines, ironworks, manufacturers, potteries, and breweries. Each tile is double-sided, with one side indicating it has been built but has yet to be flipped (unflipped) and the other side indicating it has been flipped after fulfilling certain conditions (flipped). The tiles are made from thick cardboard with clear icons showing their type and level.

Merchant Tiles

Nine merchant tiles represent various markets where players can sell their goods. Based on player count, these tiles are placed in specific locations around the board. Made from thick cardboard, they feature detailed illustrations of merchants associated with different industries. Each tile also includes spaces for beer barrels used in selling actions.

Money Tokens

Brass Birmingham has 67 money tokens (or 70 Iron Clays in the deluxe edition). These tokens represent currency used for building industries, expanding networks, taking loans, etc. In the standard edition, they are made from thick cardboard with denominations marked. The deluxe edition’s Iron Clays add a luxurious touch with their weighty feel and intricate design.

Deluxe Edition Components

For those who opt for the deluxe edition of Brass Birmingham, additional premium components enhance the gaming experience:

• Iron Clays: Replacing standard money tokens with poker-style chips known as Iron Clays adds a tactile pleasure to handling currency during gameplay.

• Wooden Resource Tokens: This edition’s coal cubes, iron cubes, and beer barrels are made from high-quality wood instead of plastic.
• Metallic Foil Embossing: The box cover features metallic foil embossing, which gives it an elegant look befitting its premium status.
• Upgraded Box Insert: A custom insert helps organize all components neatly within the Box while providing easy access during setup or cleanup.

Component Quality

The components in Brass Birmingham are widely praised for their exceptional quality and durability. Every design and production detail has been carefully considered, ensuring each piece looks fantastic and withstands repeated use. The board is thick, resists warping, and maintains its vibrant colors over time. The location, industry, and wild cards have a linen finish, enhancing durability and preventing fraying at the edges.

The industry, link, and merchant tiles are sturdily constructed and remain firm despite frequent handling. The standard cardboard or plastic tokens and the deluxe wooden alternatives are precisely crafted for longevity. The upgraded box insert in the Deluxe edition offers efficient storage, keeping all components organized and protected between sessions.

Setting Up Brass Birmingham

Setting up Brass Birmingham is an integral part of the game experience, setting the stage for the industrial competition unfolding. The setup process involves preparing the board, organizing components, and getting each player ready to dive into the strategic depths of the game. Here’s a detailed guide on how to set up Brass Birmingham, ensuring you’re prepared to embark on your industrial journey.

Board Setup

Choose the Board Side: Begin by selecting which side of the board you’d like to play on – the day or night. Both sides are functionally identical, but they offer different aesthetic experiences. The day side features a bright, bustling depiction of the West Midlands, while the night side presents a serene, moonlit version.

Place Merchant Tiles: Depending on the number of players, place merchant tiles in specific locations around the board. For a two-player game, remove all merchant tiles showing player counts more significant than two and put one tile each on locations marked for two players. In a three-player game, do the same for tiles showing counts greater than three. In a four-player game, use all merchant tiles.

Distribute Beer Barrels: Place one beer barrel beside a non-blank merchant tile on each designated space. These barrels are crucial for selling goods later in the game.

The image above shows where the beer barrels should be placed in the situation on the image. If there is confusion check out the image below this text:

Coal and Iron Markets: Populate the coal market with black cubes and the iron market with orange cubes. Fill these markets from left to right, leaving one £1 space open in the coal market and both £1 spaces open in the iron market.

General Supply: Place any remaining coal cubes, iron cubes, and beer barrels beside the board in what is known as the General Supply.

Bank Setup: Organize money tokens (or Iron Clays in the deluxe edition) beside the board to form the bank. This will be where players draw funds during gameplay.

Card Decks: Separate wild location cards and wild industry cards and place them face up on two card draw areas on the board. Shuffle the remaining location and industry cards together to form a draw deck and place it face down on another draw area.

After doing all of the things shown above, the board game setup should look something like this:

Player Area Setup

Distribute Player Mats: Each player receives a mat matching their chosen color. These mats help organize industry tiles and track income and victory points.

Starting Funds: Give each player £17 from the bank as their starting capital.

Character Tiles: Each player selects a character tile representing their entrepreneur persona for this game session.

Link Tiles: Players place 14 link tiles in their chosen color in their player area.

Industry Tiles: Stack each type of industry tile (cotton mills, coal mines, iron works, manufacturers, potteries, and breweries) face down (black top half) in its respective slot on your player mat.

Income and Victory Point Markers: Place your income marker on 10th space of the board track and your victory point marker on zero.

Draw Initial Cards: Each player draws eight cards from the draw deck to form their starting hand. Players should keep these cards hidden from others.

Discard Pile Setup: Draw one additional card from the deck and place it face down in your discard pile beside your player mat.

Determine Turn Order: Shuffle all character tiles together and place them randomly along the turn order track on the board to determine who goes first.

Gameplay Mechanics: What is There to Do

This board game weaves intricate mechanics to create a rich tapestry of strategic decision-making and economic maneuvering. Each action you take ripples through the game, influencing your progress and your opponents’ plans. Here’s an in-depth look at the gameplay mechanics that make Brass Birmingham a standout in board games.

Actions Overview

In Brass Birmingham, players take turns performing actions to build their industrial empire. Each turn consists of two actions, except for the first round of the Canal Era, where players perform only one action each. The available actions are Build, Network, Develop, Sell, Loan, and Scout. Understanding when and how to use these actions is key to mastering the game.

• Build – Building industries are at the heart of Brass Birmingham. To build an industry tile, you must discard an appropriate card from your hand. The card can be a location card, which allows you to build any industry in that specific location, or an industry card, which lets you build a particular type of industry in any location within your network. When building, you must pay the cost shown on your player mat and consume any required coal or iron. The placement rules dictate that industries must be placed in undeveloped spaces showing their icon. Overbuilding may be necessary if no such spaces are available; we will discuss that later.

• Network – Expanding your network is crucial for accessing new locations and resources. A player can only build links if they connect to their network. During the Canal Era, players could build canals by discarding any card and paying £3 to build a canal link. In the Rail Era, rail links replaced canals, costing £5 for one link or £15 for two links. Beer is also consumed, but not from merchants. Networking connects locations on the board, allowing for resource transportation and opening new opportunities for building and selling goods.

• Develop – The Develop action allows players to remove lower-level industry tiles from their player mats to access higher-level industries. This is essential for advancing your industrial capabilities and scoring higher points.  Discard any card and remove 1 or 2 industry tiles from your mat by consuming iron for each tile removed. Pottery tiles with a lightbulb icon cannot be developed; they must be built directly.

Development is a strategic move that requires foresight. It prepares you for future rounds by unlocking more valuable industries. Players flip these tiles and score income and victory points by selling goods from cotton mills, manufacturers, and Pottery.

• Sell

1. Discard Any Card: Place it face-up on your discard pile.
2. Choose Industry Tile: Select an unflipped cotton mill, manufacturer, or pottery tile connected to a merchant that shows that industry’s icon.
3. Consume Beer: Use beer barrels from breweries or merchant tiles if required.
4. Flip Tile: Advance your income marker using the spaces shown on the flipped tile.
5. Repeat: Choose another industry tile and do the same until you run out of unflipped industries or beer.

Selling is often a multi-step process involving careful planning of connections and resource management.

• Loan – Loans provide immediate cash flow but at the cost of reducing your income level. To take a loan discard any card and take £30 from the Bank. Afterwards, Move your income marker three income levels backward not spaces which are the golden and silver coins printed next to the victory point spaces. Loans are never repaid but must be strategically timed to avoid crippling your long-term income potential.

• Scout – The Scout action allows players to acquire Wild cards for increased flexibility in building industries. Discard three cards and place them face-up on your discard pile. Receive one Wild Location card and one Wild Industry card. This action provides strategic versatility but comes at the cost of using up one action.

Turn Order and Spending Money

Turn order in Birmingham is determined by how much money each player spends during their turn. Players who spend less money go earlier in the next round. Spent money is placed on top of character tiles on the turn order track. At the end of the round, the turn track is rearranged. 

This mechanic introduces a layer of tactical planning where players must balance spending against turn order advantages.

Resource Management

Resource management is a cornerstone of gameplay in Brass Birmingham:

• Coal Consumption: Coal is required for building rail links and specific industries; it must be connected via networks or purchased from the market.
• Iron Consumption: Used for developing industries; iron can be consumed from any unflipped Iron Works or purchased from the market.
• Beer Consumption is necessary for selling goods and building multiple rail links; beer can come from breweries or merchant tiles.

Managing these resources while disrupting opponents’ plans is key to gaining an edge.

End-of-Era Scoring

Each era ends with scoring based on link tiles and flipped industry tiles:

1. Score Links: Each link tile scores 1 VP for each adjacent location displaying VP icons.
2. Score Flipped Industries: Flipped tiles score VPs shown in their bottom left corner.

After scoring, remove all level 1 industry tiles (except Pottery) from the board at the end of the Canal Era while resetting merchant beer barrels and reshuffling discard piles into a new draw deck.

The Crucial Role of Coal in Brass Birmingham

In Brass Birmingham, coal is the lifeblood of industrial expansion. Understanding how coal works—and how to manage it effectively—can make or break your strategy. Whether laying down railways, building industries, or scrambling for resources, coal is pivotal in your journey through the Industrial Revolution.

When There’s No More Coal on the Map

Picture this: the game board is bustling with activity, industries are popping up everywhere, and suddenly—you realize there’s no more coal available. This scenario can create a tense atmosphere around the table. When the coal supply runs dry on the map, players must turn to the Coal Market.

Buying from the Market

• Costly Consequences: Purchasing coal from the market can quickly drain your funds, especially if you’re forced to buy at higher prices. Each increment in cost represents a significant expenditure that could have been used elsewhere in your industrial expansion.
• Market Dynamics: The Coal Market adds an economic layer to the game where supply and demand fluctuate based on player actions. Market prices might be low early in the game, but prices rise as players consume more coal, reflecting scarcity.

Strategic Implications: Running out of coal on the map forces players into a precarious position. The sudden need to spend money on market purchases can disrupt even the most carefully laid plans. This situation often leads to a frantic scramble as players vie for control over new coal mines or seek alternative strategies to mitigate resource shortfall.

We’ve had games where players were caught off guard by a sudden coal shortage, leading to frantic recalculations and creative maneuvering to stay ahead. The options you have in that situation are to:

• Disruption of Plans: When your planned actions hinge on affordable coal, and you suddenly have to pay premium prices, it can derail your strategy. You might find yourself postponing crucial builds or expansions due to unexpected costs.
• Scramble for Control: A coal shortage can trigger a rush among players to establish new coal mines. This race involves building mines and strategically placing them where they can be most beneficial—or disruptive—to others.
• Alternative Strategies: In response to coal scarcity, players might pivot to different strategies. For instance, they might focus on industries that require less or no coal or more effectively leverage other resources like iron and beer.

When There Is Coal on the Map

When coal is available on the map, it opens up a world of possibilities for strategic play. If connected via networks, all players can use coal mines owned by any other player. This shared resource dynamic adds layers of complexity and interaction central to Brass Birmingham’s gameplay.

Using Opponent’s Coal

One of the most intriguing aspects of having coal on the map is the ability to use coal from mines owned by other players if they are connected to your network. This mechanic encourages interconnected networks and even temporary cooperation among competitors.

Free Resource Access: If another player’s mine is connected to your network, you can use their coal for free, potentially saving money and allowing you to allocate resources elsewhere.

Strategic Cooperation: While you benefit from free coal, the mine’s owner also gains. Your use of their coal can help them flip their industry tiles faster, scoring them victory points. This creates a delicate balance where alliances form based on mutual advantage.

Flipping Industry Tiles

Removing the last cube of coal from a mine flips that industry tile, scoring victory points for its owner. Using an opponent’s coal can inadvertently benefit them, adding a layer of tactical consideration to your decisions.

• Scoring Opportunities: Flipping an industry tile by depleting its resources is one of the primary ways to score points in Brass Birmingham. When you use an opponent’s coal and flip their tile, you give them points.
• Tactical Decisions: Deciding whether or not to use an opponent’s coal involves weighing the immediate benefits against the potential long-term advantages you’re giving them. Sometimes, it might be worth securing necessary resources quickly; other times, finding alternative solutions to avoid boosting your rival’s score might be better.

When a New Coal Mine is Made

Building new coal mines can shift the balance of power dramatically. Here’s what happens when you establish a new coal mine:

Placing Coal Cubes

When you build a new coal mine, you place black cubes (coal) on it based on its level. For instance, a Level 1 coal mine might generate three coal cubes, with higher levels producing more. These cubes are now available to any player connected to your network, making coal an essential resource for building industries and expanding networks. Since any connected player can use this coal, it encourages interaction and competition, requiring careful planning to utilize your coal or avoid helping you too much.

Moving coal to the market gives an instant cash boost, which can be crucial for funding further expansions. Filling the priciest spaces first maximizes earnings while impacting market dynamics. Other players will now face higher costs when buying coal, potentially disrupting their plans and forcing tough decisions.

Strategic Benefits

Building a new coal mine provides strategic benefits beyond resource generation:

Control Over Resources: Placing a coal mine in a key location allows you to control the flow of resources. Players needing coal must connect to your network, giving you indirect influence over their actions.

Income Generation: Connecting your mine to the market ensures a steady income as long as there’s demand for coal, which can be reinvested or used to outmaneuver competitors.

Victory Points: If other players use all the coal from your mine, it flips and scores you valuable victory points, making strategic placement crucial for endgame scoring opportunities.

Iron: The Unsung Hero of Brass Birmingham

In Brass Birmingham, while coal might be the flashy resource everyone scrambles for, iron plays a quieter but equally crucial role in driving your industrial empire forward. Understanding how iron works, primarily through the Sell action, can give you a significant edge over your competitors. Let’s delve into the nitty-gritty of iron management and its unique interactions in this strategic masterpiece.

The Iron Sell Action

Iron isn’t just for building and developing industries; it’s also a key player in generating income through the Sell action. Here’s how the Iron Sell action works and why it’s a game-changer:

Selling Iron to the Market

1. Building an Iron Works: To start selling iron, you first need to build an Iron Works. When you construct an Iron Works, place orange iron cubes on it according to its level.
2. Connecting to the Market: If your newly built Iron Works is connected to any merchant space (even those without merchant tiles), you must immediately move as many cubes as possible from your Iron Works to the Iron Market, filling the most expensive spaces first.
3. Earning Income: For each cube moved to the market, you earn money based on the price indicated by the market space. This can provide a substantial boost to your finances, enabling further expansions and developments.
   • Immediate Cash Flow: Moving iron cubes to the market generates instant income, which can be crucial for funding subsequent actions or recovering from previous expenditures.
   • Market Dynamics: By filling the most expensive spaces first, you maximize your earnings but also affect market prices for other players who might need to purchase iron later.

The Beer Mechanic: Brewing Success in Brass Birmingham

The beer consumption system is one of Brass Birmingham’s most unique and intriguing mechanics. As we delved deeper into our numerous playthroughs, we found that how beer is integrated into the game adds a fascinating layer of strategy and interaction that sets it apart from other economic board games.

Brewing and Consuming Beer

In Brass Birmingham, beer is not just a resource; it’s a critical component for selling goods and expanding your network during the Rail Era. Each brewery you build produces beer barrels essential for performing specific actions. This mechanic mirrored the historical importance of beer during the Industrial Revolution when clean drinking water was scarce, and beer often served as a safer alternative.

Building Breweries

Breweries can be built during both the Canal and Rail Eras, but their importance becomes even more pronounced in the latter. When building a brewery:

• Canal Era: Place one beer barrel in your brewery.
• Rail Era: Place two beer barrels in your brewery.

The placement of these breweries requires strategic foresight, as they need to be connected to your network to be effective. We often carefully planned our brewery locations to ensure they were accessible when needed.

Selling Goods with Beer

One of the most compelling aspects of the beer mechanic is its role in selling goods. To flip your Cotton Mills, Manufacturers, or Potteries for income and victory points, you must consume beer:

• Merchant Beer: If a merchant tile has a beer barrel beside it, you can use this beer to sell goods.
• Own Breweries: You can also consume beer from your unflipped breweries without a connection.
• Opponent’s Breweries: If connected, you may use an opponent’s unflipped brewery’s beer, adding a layer of player interaction.

This mechanic creates dynamic competition over limited resources. In one memorable game session, we witnessed how one player’s control over crucial breweries forced others to adapt their strategies, leading to intense negotiations and tactical maneuvers.

Network Expansion with Beer

During the Rail Era, expanding your network by building two rail links in one turn requires consuming beer from a brewery. This rule emphasizes the importance of securing and maintaining access to beer throughout the game. We frequently found ourselves balancing the need to expand our networks quickly against the availability of beer resources.

Thematic Richness

The inclusion of beer as a central mechanic not only adds depth to gameplay but also enhances thematic immersion. This mechanic resonates through the historical context—beer was vital due to unsafe drinking water. It’s a brilliant design choice that ties gameplay directly to historical realities, making each decision grounded in the era’s challenges.

Why Brass Birmingham is #1 Board Game

Brass Birmingham is celebrated as the #1 board game ever made due to its unparalleled blend of deep strategy, thematic richness, and interactive gameplay. The game’s intricate mechanics require careful planning and adaptability, rewarding players who can think several steps ahead. Its historical accuracy and immersive components also transport players into the heart of England’s Industrial Revolution, offering an educational and entertaining experience. The game’s complexity is unbelievable. The first time we played a single game was about 2 hours, and we can tell you, the first hour, we were lost. But when you know what you’re doing, you will have one of the best board game experiences. It’s one of our favorites.

Personal Reflections on the Game

During one particularly intense game session, we were embroiled in fierce competition over the coal market. One player had monopolized the early coal mines, forcing the rest of us to either pay exorbitant prices at the market or develop our own mines rapidly. This created a tense atmosphere where every move was scrutinized, and alliances were fleeting. The dynamic interaction between players adds a unique narrative element to each game and is one of Brass Birmingham’s strongest suits.

Brass Birmingham is a game that’s not for the faint-hearted. Its complexity can be daunting for newcomers, but it offers unparalleled strategic depth for those willing to invest the time to learn its intricacies. We recommend first playing a Kickstarter board game, then starting with the introductory game if you’re new to heavy economic strategy games. This shorter version focuses solely on the Canal Era, providing a gentler learning curve while offering a taste of what makes Brass Birmingham so unique.

For experienced gamers, diving straight into the whole game is highly recommended. The Canal and Rail Eras transition introduces a refreshing reset that keeps gameplay dynamic and engaging. The need to adapt strategies between eras ensures that all games are unique. We won’t recommend Brass Birmingham to people just getting into board games because if you try to play it with so-called veterans or just people who have played this game, the chance is likely bigger for you to lose. We love the complexity of this board game.

What We Like and What We Don’t Like About Brass Birmingham

What We Like

• Strategic Depth: One of the standout features we love about Brass Birmingham is its immense strategic depth. Every decision, from building industries to expanding networks, requires careful planning and foresight. The dual-era system keeps the gameplay fresh and dynamic, ensuring that no two games are identical.
• Player Interaction: We thoroughly enjoy the high level of player interaction. Whether we’re competing for resources, strategically placing link tiles, or using opponents’ breweries, the game constantly keeps us engaged with each other’s actions. This interaction creates a vibrant and competitive atmosphere that makes every session memorable.
• Thematic Immersion: The historical theme is beautifully integrated into the mechanics. We love how the game transports us to the Industrial Revolution, making us feel like true industrial magnates navigating the era’s challenges. The beer mechanic, in particular, adds a unique thematic twist that enhances the overall experience.
• Component Quality: The components are top-notch, especially in the deluxe edition. From the sturdy board and detailed industry tiles to the luxurious Iron Clays, every piece feels premium and adds to the game’s enjoyment.
• Replayability: Brass Birmingham has incredible replayability. With so many strategic avenues to explore and different player interactions in each game, we find ourselves coming back to it time and time again, always discovering new strategies and tactics.

What We Don’t Like

• Steep Learning Curve: While we appreciate the complexity, Brass Birmingham can be intimidating for new players. The rulebook is comprehensive but dense, and it takes a few playthroughs to grasp all the nuances fully. This can be a barrier for those who prefer lighter games.
• Setup Time: The setup process is quite involved, especially with fewer than four players. Specific cards and merchant tiles must be removed, which can be time-consuming and may deter some from playing it as frequently as they’d like.

• Analysis Paralysis: Due to the game’s deep strategic nature, it’s easy for players to fall into analysis paralysis, particularly during critical turns in the Rail Era. This can slow down gameplay significantly, which might be frustrating for those who prefer a faster-paced experience.
• Resource Scarcity Frustration: While resource management is a core part of the game’s challenge, there are moments when resource scarcity—especially coal—can feel overly punitive. We found ourselves stuck in some games because an opponent controlled key resources, leading to frustrating stalls in our plans.
• Player Count Sensitivity: The game shines brightest with four players due to its balanced competition and resource availability. While it’s still enjoyable with two or three players, some tension and interaction are diminished, making those sessions slightly less engaging.

Final Thoughts: A Journey Through the Industrial Revolution

Having played Brass Birmingham extensively, we can confidently say it is one of the most captivating and rewarding board games we’ve ever experienced. This game is not just a test of strategic prowess but a deep dive into the historical intricacies of England’s Industrial Revolution. Every playthrough has offered new challenges and unforgettable moments, cementing its place in our hearts and gaming table; now, we don’t wonder why it is known as the #1 board game on the market.

Martin Wallace, the mastermind behind Brass Birmingham, is renowned for blending thematic depth with complex mechanics seamlessly. Wallace’s games often feature intricate economic systems and require players to think several moves ahead. His designs are characterized by their historical themes and rich strategic layers, making them favorites among hardcore board gamers.

Brass Birmingham is more than just a board game; it’s an experience that transports you back to a pivotal era in history. Its meticulous design by Martin Wallace offers both a challenging puzzle and an immersive narrative that keeps us coming back for more. Whether you’re a veteran strategist or a newcomer eager to explore economic simulations, Brass Birmingham promises an unforgettable journey through the heart of the Industrial Revolution.