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Box art via BoardGameGeek
Brass: Birmingham
The economic game that sits at number one, and earns it the hard way.
Designed by Gavin Brown, Matt Tolman · 2018
The heaviest game I'd still call a joy. Win or lose, people get up from the table impressed.
Best for: Experienced groups who want depth without anyone haggling
What it is
Brass: Birmingham has sat at number one on BoardGameGeek for years, and what's striking is how few people argue with it. You're building industries across the English Midlands during the industrial revolution, first along the canals and then the railways, and the whole thing runs on supply and demand. When coal gets scarce the price swings, and the players paying attention make their own luck out of the timing.
The catch
What players keep coming back to is how tight it is. You only get a few dozen actions across the entire game, so every single one has to earn its place. That's also where the analysis paralysis creeps in. With a slow, indecisive group it can grind, though most reviewers note the dithering eases off once the board fills in and the choices narrow.
Who it's for
It's not a starter game, and it'll eat a couple of hours. But the thing people say over and over, and I agree with, is that everyone gets up impressed, whether they won or got flattened. If your group is ready to graduate from gateway games and nobody at the table likes to barter, this is the one to reach for.
What other players say
This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:
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