During the first lockdown, I finally got the chance to play Roxley’s highly praised Brass: Lancashire and Brass: Birmingham after hearing a lot of positive feedback about both games. Brass: Lancashire is essentially a refreshed edition of the older original, featuring a complete visual redesign and slightly streamlined rules. It also comes with a two-player board variant, originally developed by members of the Brass community to improve the experience for two players. Brass: Birmingham, on the other hand, is a sequel that builds upon the best elements of the original game while discarding some of the clunkier mechanics. Although I never played the original 2007 edition, I was always curious about it, but deterred by the poor artwork and graphic design of the earlier version. Roxley’s versions came in standard and deluxe editions, with the deluxe including upgraded clay-style poker chips instead of cardboard money, thicker cardboard tokens, and sturdier player mats. I ordered both games in the deluxe editions shortly after the Kickstarter campaign finished, spending quite a bit, but after playing both games at different player counts, I can say they were worth the investment.
Brass Lancashire
Brass Lancashire, formally known simply as Brass, is set on a map of the North West of England, the heartland of the Industrial Revolution. Players take on the roles of rival industrialists, competing to build mines, mills, docks, and the transport networks that connect these industries. The game will feel familiar to fans of euro-style games: each player has their board, there are building tiles to place, and an income track that steadily increases throughout the game. The map is carefully designed to reflect the history of the region, with cities accurately populated by the right types of industries—Manchester is full of cotton mills, Liverpool has docks, and Preston has steel mills. This attention to detail helps immerse players in the theme.
Gameplay revolves around placing tiles directly from your player board onto the map. Tiles yield greater rewards when you build multiple of the same type, but the tiles only become beneficial after they are flipped. Coal mines and iron works start with resources that must be used up before flipping; ships flip immediately but are costly to build; cotton mills and docks flip only once linked by canals or railways, even if those connections belong to different players. Flipped tiles provide both victory points and income, which is crucial because players start with zero income. One of the best parts of Brass is how the card-driven mechanic shapes the game. Cards in your hand represent either a location or an industry. Each turn, you take two actions (except the first turn), but every action requires discarding a card, which also limits your options and acts as a timer for each phase of the game.
The game plays out in two eras. In the first, players focus on building canals and setting up their industrial empire. Once the canal cards run out, players score their canal network and flipped buildings, removing the canals from the board. Only more advanced buildings remain as the game moves into the train era. Trains cost more than canals and require coal, so coal mines become more valuable in the second half. The board offers more spaces for rail tracks than canals, giving players additional opportunities to build their network. Brass is exciting because much of the scoring is revealed only at the end, and players often make their highest scoring plays during the final turns.
If I had to offer criticism, it would be the way ports and distant markets function. The mechanism feels a bit clunky, and I’ve seen games where these options expire too quickly, making some mills unusable unless players are willing to take an overbuild action to replace their tiles. However, this isn’t a major issue, as players can shift focus to trains and ships later in the game. Brass Lancashire delivers a deeply strategic and engaging experience, made even more special for me since I grew up in the Lancashire region. Overall, I would rate this game quite highly.
Brass Birmingham
Brass Birmingham takes the solid foundation of the original and refines it by removing some of the more awkward mechanics. For players familiar with Brass Lancashire, the differences between the two are relatively minor and can be explained quickly before starting. The setup looks similar, but this time you have the choice between playing the day or night version of the central board and player boards, which is purely cosmetic.
One of the biggest improvements is the removal of docks and distant markets, which are replaced by five trade routes around the edges of the board. At setup, merchant tiles are placed randomly on these routes to indicate where demand for each good will be during the game. Players now trade three types of goods: cotton, pottery, and manufactured goods. Each has unique benefits—cotton provides strong early income, manufactured goods are cheaper to build, and pottery is a higher cost but potentially higher reward option, somewhat like shipbuilding in the original game.
A major addition is the introduction of beer as a third resource, reflecting its historical importance as a cleaner alternative to water. As a fan of both board games and beer, I found this addition very fitting. Beer must be spent nearly every time a player flips a tile in the sell action, with some tiles even requiring two beer tokens. A few barrels are available at the start of each age for anyone to use, but they run out quickly, so building breweries becomes essential. Beer you control can be used anywhere on the board, similar to iron, but beer controlled by opponents must be connected to you to be used, like coal. There is no external beer market, so managing beer demand is a crucial strategic consideration throughout the game.
There are also other smaller changes, such as wild cards, stricter loan rules, and higher-value spaces in the trade markets. Together, these tweaks elevate Brass Birmingham from a great game to an absolute masterpiece. It offers a well-balanced, strategic challenge that consistently builds toward a thrilling finish. My only minor complaint is the lack of a dedicated two-player board like the one found in Brass Lancashire, which would have made the two-player experience tighter and more competitive. Despite this, Brass Birmingham remains comfortably in my all-time top five games, earning a perfect score from me.
Alternative Two-Player Board
The alternative two-player board included with Brass Lancashire is a community-developed variant designed to improve the gameplay experience for two players. The original game was more optimized for three or four players, and playing with two could feel a bit loose or unbalanced. This alternative board tightens the map and makes some adjustments to keep the game competitive and strategic even with fewer players. It changes the available locations and connections to prevent the board from feeling too open, making each decision more impactful. I’ve found it makes the two-player games more engaging and intense without changing the core mechanics of Brass Lancashire.
Lancashire and Brass: Birmingham offer rich, immersive gameplay with deep strategic layers that reward careful planning and timing. The alternative two-player board is a welcome addition for those who want to enjoy the game with just two players, improving the overall balance and challenge. Whether you prefer the nostalgic charm of Lancashire or the refined complexity of Birmingham, both games are excellent choices for anyone interested in strategy board games with an economic and historical theme.
Introduction to the Alternative Two-Player Board
In addition to playing Brass: Lancashire and Brass: Birmingham at higher player counts, I was eager to try the alternative two-player board created by community members. Both Brass games have strong reputations for their strategic depth and thematic immersion, but playing with just two players can sometimes feel less dynamic or too spacious. The alternative two-player board attempts to address these issues by tightening the game space, increasing interaction, and providing a more intense experience tailored specifically for two players.
This board is designed to fit seamlessly with both Brass: Lancashire and Brass: Birmingham, maintaining the core mechanics but modifying the map layout and some gameplay elements to enhance competitiveness. The goal is to keep the pacing brisk and the strategic decisions sharp even with only two players.
Key Features of the Alternative Board
The alternative two-player board is notably smaller and more compact than the standard boards used for four players. This shrinkage means that space is at a premium, and players have fewer safe spots to quietly develop their industries without interference. The increased competition for valuable locations and resources creates a constant tension that many players find more engaging in a two-player setting.
Both versions of the alternative board keep the essential geographic flavor of the originals, preserving historical accuracy in terms of town and industry placements. The connection routes for canals and trains remain integral, requiring players to carefully plan their network expansions to maximize income and points.
One significant change on the alternative board is how trade routes and external markets are configured. These have been streamlined to avoid the sometimes cumbersome mechanisms of the full-size boards, making the economic flow smoother and easier to follow without sacrificing strategic depth.
Gameplay Experience with the Alternative Board
Playing Brass with the alternative two-player board felt markedly different from the larger game setups. The smaller map size means that every decision to build a canal, railway, or industry tile carries more immediate consequences. There’s less room for long-term quiet buildup, forcing players into more direct competition over key resources like coal, iron, and, in the case of Brass: Birmingham, beer.
Resource management remains as critical as ever, but the tighter board means that players have to be extra mindful of what their opponent might do on the next turn. The limited spaces for canal and rail placement increase the stakes of each move and encourage aggressive blocking and route competition.
The two halves of the game — the canal era and the rail era — remain intact, preserving the satisfying shift in strategy midway through the game. On the alternative board, this transition is even more dramatic because players have fewer options to fall back on, meaning that the choices made in the canal era can heavily dictate rail era success.
Comparison to Standard Boards
The alternative board’s condensed map creates a much faster-paced game, which some players might prefer as it reduces downtime and the possibility of analysis paralysis. It encourages proactive play and punishes hesitation more severely.
In contrast, the standard boards allow for more expansive development and sometimes give players the chance to build less contested industries before ramping up to higher scores. While this can lead to more varied strategies in multiplayer games, it may feel too sprawling for two players.
One of the main strengths of the alternative board is how it balances player interaction. The risk of having your expansion blocked or resources cut off is higher, so each player must constantly watch their opponent’s moves and adapt. This dynamic injects a lot of energy into a two-player game that might be missing on the larger boards.
Adjustments in Strategy on the Alternative Board
Because space is limited and competition is fierce, the strategy you use on the alternative board should differ from the multiplayer approach. It becomes essential to prioritize early control of valuable resource locations like coal and iron mines, as denying your opponent these resources can be just as valuable as building your network.
Building breweries and managing beer supply in Brass: Birmingham becomes particularly tactical with fewer safe spots to develop them. Since beer must be spent to flip industry tiles, controlling these breweries can directly influence your ability to score points and income.
Investing in loans is another area where strategy shifts. Taking loans early to fund rapid expansion can be riskier on the smaller board, but it can pay off if you can leverage the income gains quickly enough. The tighter economy and market mean that every loan taken needs careful planning and a clear path to repayment.
Moreover, the choice of which industries to develop first becomes critical. Cotton mills, pottery, and manufactured goods all have different cost and payoff structures. On the alternative board, players often lean toward industries that can flip quickly and produce reliable income, as the pace of the game punishes slow development.
Challenges and Criticisms of the Alternative Board
While the alternative two-player board improves interaction and pacing, it is not without its drawbacks. Some players might feel that the reduced map size leads to a loss of the sprawling industrial empire feel that makes the original Brass games so immersive.
There is also a greater chance of being completely blocked or locked out of key resources, which can create frustrating situations where one player falls far behind early on. This downside is somewhat balanced by the quicker pace and increased action, but it may not appeal to more casual or less confrontational players.
Additionally, some elements like the removal or simplification of distant markets and ports in the alternative board might feel like a loss to those who appreciate the economic complexity of the full games. The alternative two-player board for Brass: Lancashire and Brass: Birmingham offers a compelling option for those wanting a tighter, more competitive game with just two players. It preserves the essential mechanics and thematic depth while addressing some of the pacing and interaction issues common in two-player sessions of the original games.
Its smaller size and focused design demand sharper strategic thinking and create a game that feels engaging from start to finish. While it may not capture the epic scale of the full maps, it excels at delivering a streamlined and intense experience.
For fans of the Brass series, trying the alternative two-player board is a worthwhile experience that breathes new life into the games when playing with fewer people. It offers a fresh perspective on the familiar mechanics and ensures that no two games feel quite the same.
Overview of Both Games
Brass Lancashire and Brass Birmingham share a common foundation as strategic economic games set during the industrial revolution, but each offers a distinct experience that appeals to different types of players. Both games challenge players to develop industries, build networks, and manage resources to generate income and score points. However, the approach, mechanics, and overall feel of each game differ in meaningful ways.
Brass Lancashire is the earlier of the two and lays the groundwork with a focus on the cotton industry and the development of canals and railways in the North West of England. It emphasizes the historical context of Lancashire’s industrial landscape, including coal, iron, cotton mills, docks, and ships. The game’s pacing and scoring are tied closely to the two eras of canal and rail, requiring players to balance long-term strategy with tactical card play.
Brass Birmingham expands on this framework by introducing additional industries like pottery and manufactured goods, alongside the return of cotton. It adds a new resource, beer, which plays a critical role in tile flipping and industry development. Birmingham refines several mechanics from the original game and offers a more polished and balanced experience. It also removes some of the more cumbersome elements like distant markets and docks, replacing them with trade routes and merchant tiles that streamline economic flows.
Differences in Theme and Industry Focus
While both games center around the industrial revolution in England, Brass Lancashire focuses more narrowly on the Lancashire region’s industries, particularly cotton and the transport networks that supported it. This focus gives the game a tight thematic coherence, with a clear historical grounding that influences gameplay and strategic choices. The importance of canals and ships in Lancashire’s port cities reflects the region’s real-world industrial strengths.
Brass Birmingham widens the thematic lens to cover a more diverse set of industries and introduces beer as a resource, reflecting the cultural and economic realities of the Birmingham area during the same period. The inclusion of pottery and manufactured goods alongside cotton creates more varied strategic options and pathways to victory. Beer adds a layer of resource management that requires players to think carefully about timing and network connections.
The change in industries also impacts how players prioritize building types and routes. For example, pottery is costly but highly rewarding, similar to the role ships play in Lancashire. Manufactured goods are cheaper and easier to develop early on, making them attractive options in Birmingham’s economy. Beer, by necessity, requires players to build breweries and manage their supply closely, adding new tactical challenges not present in the original game.
Gameplay Mechanics and Card Play
Both Brass games use card-driven actions that limit players to building in certain locations or industries, adding a layer of planning and hand management. Players must discard a card every time they take an action, which acts as a timer for each era and forces careful consideration of the order and timing of moves.
Brass Lancashire uses cards that represent either locations or industries, requiring players to adapt their strategies based on the cards drawn. The canal era encourages building canals and establishing industry foundations, while the rail era shifts focus to more advanced developments and resource-intensive building. The card system also restricts where players can build each turn, increasing the challenge of network planning.
Brass Birmingham keeps the same basic card-driven structure but introduces wild cards to offer more flexibility in building. This reduces some of the frustration that can come from bad card draws and makes the game smoother. The removal of ports and distant markets simplifies the economic model, focusing attention on trade routes and merchant demand. These merchant tiles change each game and affect where players should concentrate their industry development and trade efforts.
Another notable difference is the handling of loans. Brass Birmingham implements stricter loan rules to prevent excessive debt-taking early in the game. This change forces players to weigh their financing decisions more carefully and promotes more sustainable growth throughout the game.
Player Interaction and Competition
In both games, player interaction is indirect but significant. Competition arises primarily through fighting over limited locations, controlling resources like coal and iron, and the network-building element, where connecting to certain locations or resources can deny opponents access.
Brass Lancashire’s larger board and the presence of distant markets and ports sometimes result in more spaced-out player activity, especially with higher player counts. The alternative two-player board and smaller player counts heighten interaction by forcing players into more frequent contention over key spots.
Brass Birmingham is generally considered to increase player interaction with its more compact board layout, trade routes, and the introduction of beer as a shared resource. The need to build breweries and the limited supply of beer tokens create additional points of conflict and negotiation. The game’s tighter resource management and trade demands lead to more blocking and competitive moves, which some players find more engaging.
Both games reward careful observation of opponent strategies, timing of expansion, and managing when to take loans or invest in costly industries. Players who adapt well to their opponents’ moves and seize key opportunities often come out ahead.
Visual Presentation and Components
One of the biggest improvements in the Roxley editions of Brass Lancashire and Brass Birmingham is the quality of components and graphic design. The original Brass games from 2007 suffered from unappealing artwork and cluttered boards, which could detract from the gaming experience.
The new editions offer beautifully illustrated maps, clear iconography, and sturdy components that make gameplay smoother and more enjoyable. The deluxe versions upgrade money tokens to clay poker chips, which feel better in hand and add a tactile pleasure to managing income.
Brass Birmingham, in particular, has a visually striking board and player mats with a modern and clean aesthetic. The thematic elements, such as beer barrels and merchant tiles, are well integrated into the design, enhancing immersion.
For players who value presentation and component quality, the Roxley editions represent a significant step up and help bring the games to life in a way that complements the strategic depth.
Replayability and Variability
Both Brass Lancashire and Brass Birmingham offer high replayability thanks to their card-driven mechanics, variable player order, and the different industries and trade demands each game presents.
Brass Lancashire’s two eras and the fluctuating importance of canals versus trains ensure that no two games play out the same. The risk of certain ports or distant markets becoming unavailable adds a layer of unpredictability.
Brass Birmingham’s inclusion of multiple industries, changing merchant demand tiles, and trade routes further enhances replay value. The choice between focusing on cotton, pottery, or manufactured goods combined with the strategic use of beer and breweries keeps players exploring new tactics.
The availability of alternative two-player boards also increases variability by providing a different spatial dynamic and interaction level when playing with fewer players.
Choosing Between the Two Games
For players new to the Brass series, Brass Lancashire provides a solid introduction with its clear focus on historical Lancashire and a relatively straightforward set of industries and mechanics. It offers a rich strategic experience with rewarding network-building and resource management challenges.
Brass Birmingham is often recommended for those looking for a more refined and balanced game with additional layers of strategy. Its expanded industry options, improved economic model, and enhanced player interaction make it a favorite among experienced players.
Both games shine in their own right and can be enjoyed independently or together as complementary experiences. Choosing between them may come down to personal preference for theme, complexity, and the style of resource management you enjoy most.
Ultimately, owning both games, along with the alternative two-player board, provides the most flexibility and variety, allowing players to tailor the Brass experience to different groups and moods.
This makes the Brass series a standout example of how classic euro-style games can be updated and expanded to deliver engaging, competitive, and richly thematic gameplay for years to come.
Strategic Depth and Learning Curve
Both Brass Lancashire and Brass Birmingham offer considerable strategic depth, but the learning curve varies between the two. Brass Lancashire, as the original game, introduces players to the core mechanics of network building, resource management, and card-driven actions in a historical industrial setting. The challenge in Lancashire lies in managing the two eras effectively—canals and rails—and balancing investments between building industries, connecting networks, and expanding transportation routes. New players might find some aspects complex, especially with the dual scoring phases and the need to plan several moves. The fluctuating availability of locations, coal, and iron adds to this complexity, rewarding careful planning and adaptability.
Brass Birmingham refines many of these mechanics, making the game more accessible without losing its strategic richness. The inclusion of beer as a new resource adds a layer of tactical decision-making around resource production and consumption. Players must not only build industries but also ensure a steady supply of beer to flip tiles and activate certain abilities. This additional resource management element increases the complexity but also opens new avenues for strategic play. The introduction of wild cards in Birmingham helps mitigate card luck and offers more flexibility in building choices, making the game smoother and more forgiving for newcomers while retaining deep strategic opportunities for experienced players.
Importance of Resource Management
Resource management is central to both Brass Lancashire and Brass Birmingham, but it plays out differently in each game. In Lancashire, coal and iron are critical resources required for building most industries and developing transportation networks. The game’s map features coal mines and ironworks scattered across locations, forcing players to consider their network carefully to ensure they have access to these resources. Coal is particularly important as it powers canals in the early era and railways later, making its control a significant tactical advantage. Players often compete for coal supply, which can lead to blocking opponents or cutting off access to key areas. The resource scarcity and location-based availability heighten tension and demand careful resource allocation and timing.
In Birmingham, resource management broadens with the introduction of beer alongside coal and iron. Beer is necessary for flipping industry tiles, which represent developed factories and workshops. Players must build breweries to produce beer and manage its distribution to where it is needed. This added resource creates new strategic considerations and interactions, as beer supply can become a bottleneck or a point of contention between players. While coal and iron remain essential for construction, managing beer production and timing adds complexity and makes resource planning more dynamic. This inclusion also emphasizes the importance of building an efficient network that supports all three resources, encouraging players to balance short-term gains with long-term infrastructure development.
Economic Growth and Network Expansion
At the heart of both games is the concept of building an economic network that supports industrial growth and trade. Players must decide where to build industries, which locations to connect, and how to expand their transportation infrastructure to maximize profits and points.
Brass Lancashire focuses heavily on the expansion of canals and railroads as means of transporting goods and connecting industries. The canal era requires players to carefully build routes to link coal, iron, and cotton industries to markets and ports. The transition to the rail era introduces faster and more expensive infrastructure, prompting players to upgrade their networks while continuing to develop industries. The presence of ports and distant markets allows for additional export opportunities, adding layers to strategic decisions. The need to connect to coal and iron mines to power industries and transportation lines makes network building a critical aspect of gameplay.
Brass Birmingham shifts the focus slightly by replacing ports with trade routes and merchant tiles, streamlining the trading system. This change simplifies the network expansion but retains the importance of connecting industries and resources efficiently. The merchant tiles introduce varying demand each game, influencing where players should focus their network development and industry building. The presence of beer breweries and the requirement to supply beer to flip tiles encourages players to consider the entire network holistically rather than focusing on isolated industries. This creates a more integrated economic system where players must plan infrastructure and production in tandem to succeed.
Player Experience and Engagement
Player experience in both Brass games is shaped by the interplay of strategic planning, resource competition, and timing. The games offer high engagement levels through continuous decision-making and interaction, although the nature of interaction is mostly indirect.
In Brass Lancashire, players often feel the pressure of limited resources and contested locations, which leads to strategic blocking and outmaneuvering opponents. The two-phase structure with canal and rail eras gives a satisfying progression and requires players to adapt strategies as the game evolves. Some players appreciate the historic industrial theme, finding it immersive and adding flavor to their decisions. However, the complexity and occasionally punishing card draws can lead to frustration for less experienced players.
Brass Birmingham enhances player engagement by streamlining mechanics and introducing elements that increase interaction, such as beer supply and merchant demand. The faster flow of the game and more flexible card system contribute to a smoother experience. The game encourages players to pay close attention to opponents’ moves and adapt accordingly, fostering a dynamic and competitive atmosphere. The richer industry diversity and the role of beer make each game feel fresh and varied, which helps maintain long-term interest.
Accessibility and Group Suitability
When considering accessibility, Brass Birmingham generally offers a gentler learning curve due to its refined mechanics and more balanced gameplay. The availability of wild cards and fewer restrictions on building help newcomers feel less constrained and more engaged. Its components and presentation also appeal to a wider audience, making it a popular choice for groups with mixed experience levels.
Brass Lancashire, while rewarding for dedicated players, can be more daunting for beginners. The need to manage two eras with different mechanics, combined with the strategic importance of resource locations, requires more attention and experience. It tends to suit players who enjoy deep, thoughtful euro-style games and historical themes. For groups who enjoy negotiation and blocking tactics, Lancashire can provide a compelling challenge.
Both games scale well for different player counts, but the inclusion of an alternative two-player board expands their versatility. This board makes gameplay more competitive and engaging in smaller groups, preserving the core strategic elements while adapting to fewer players.
Conclusion:
Choosing between Brass Lancashire and Brass Birmingham depends largely on player preferences, experience level, and the type of gaming experience sought. Both games are excellent representations of strategic euro-style design, emphasizing network building, resource management, and economic development in an industrial revolution setting.
For those new to the series or players looking for a slightly lighter and more modern experience, Brass Birmingham is often the preferred choice. Its refined mechanics, additional resource considerations, and streamlined trading system create a game that is accessible, engaging, and strategically rewarding. The vibrant industries and the role of beer as a resource add a unique flavor that distinguishes it from other economic strategy games.
For players who appreciate historical detail, a focus on industrial infrastructure, and a slightly more complex strategic environment, Brass Lancashire remains a classic. Its dual-era structure, detailed resource system, and expansive map offer a rich tactical playground. While it may be more challenging to learn, the depth and thematic immersion it provides are highly rewarding for dedicated players.
Ultimately, owning both games is ideal for enthusiasts who want to explore the full spectrum of the Brass experience. The games complement each other by offering different challenges, mechanics, and themes, allowing groups to tailor their play sessions according to mood and player skill.
The continued popularity and positive reception of these games demonstrate the enduring appeal of well-crafted economic strategy games. They showcase how historical themes, combined with thoughtful mechanics and high-quality components, can create memorable and engaging experiences that stand the test of time. Whether expanding networks in Lancashire or managing beer supplies in Birmingham, players are sure to enjoy the intricate decisions and competitive thrills these games provide.