Brass: Birmingham

About this board game

Brass: Birmingham is an economic strategy game for 2–4 players, with an approximate play time of 120 minutes. Set in Birmingham during the Industrial Revolution from 1770 to 1870, it places competing entrepreneurs in a contest to develop industries and networks.

The game is divided into two distinct halves: the canal era, covering 1770–1830, and the rail era, covering 1830–1870. During both periods, players work to establish industries and respond to low or high market demands.

Each round, players take turns according to the turn order track and receive two actions. These actions let you build industry tiles, expand your network, improve industry value, sell goods, take loans or seek new cards.

• Build: Pay the required resources and place an industry tile.
• Network: Add a canal or rail link to expand your network.
• Develop: Increase the victory point value of an industry.
• Sell: Sell cotton, manufactured goods and pottery.
• Loan: Take a £30 loan while reducing your income.
• Scout: Discard three cards to take a wild location card and a wild industry card.

Victory points are counted at the end of each half for canals, rails and established, or flipped, industry tiles. The player with the most victory points wins.

As a sequel to Martin Wallace’s 2007 game Brass, Brass: Birmingham offers a different story arc and experience while retaining its focus on development, construction, networking and economic decisions.