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Brass: Birmingham

Gavan Brown, Matt Tolman, Martin Wallace · Roxley Games · 2018

Build an industrial empire during the canal and rail eras of Birmingham, England. The dual-era structure means your canal-era infrastructure is wiped clean before the rail era begins — plan for both. Consistently rated among the top 3 games of all time on BoardGameGeek.

Players

2–4

Time

120 min

Ages

14+

Difficulty

Heavy

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Why you'll like it

Consistently rated top 3 on BoardGameGeek
The dual-era reset creates extraordinary strategic depth
Network-building interactions between players are elegant
Beautiful production by Roxley
Enormous replay value from variable setup

How it plays

Brass: Birmingham is an economic strategy game set during the Industrial Revolution. Players build canals and railways, and industries like coal mines, iron works, breweries and cotton mills across the region.

The game has two eras: canals, then railways. Industries flip and score once their goods are sold or used, and links score for the buildings next to them. Players share coal, iron and beer, so the economy is highly interactive. It's one of the most highly rated heavy games.