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Martin Wallace's streamlined redesign of Brass: Lancashire.
Players are tycoons in the early days of the Industrial Revolution; a time when traditional craftsman were being rapidly replaced with steam-powered machines. Players invest in the production of raw materials, the manufacture of goods, and the transportation networks needed to connect them to their markets.
Like Brass, the strategic space is vast, and player decisions are limited by cards. In Age of Industry, however, cards are color-coded to regions rather than specific cities, allowing the players to be more flexible with their plans, while at the same time continuing to limit the decisions available. The color-coded region cards will also support expansion maps.
In addition, the original Brass rules were simplified by eliminating the canal period; there is only one period, the railway era. There is also a new, non-specific industry, which will change with each map.
According to Wallace, "You can now play something with the depth of Brass, but in half the time. The game will have a double-sided map, with Germany on one side and southern New England on the other."
- Brass-like strategic feel but more streamlined
- Multiple maps/maps variants increase replayability
- Easier to teach than Brass, good for new players
- Strong thematic ties with industrial era; ships/ports add depth
- End-game timing can be brittle; rail costs can be expensive
- Map-specific differences may affect balance
- Learning curve still present with card economy and presence rules
- Industrialization, rail expansion, and urban growth
- Industrial Revolution-era Northeastern United States; textile mills in New England, port towns, and railroad networks
- historical-industrial tableau with cards representing locations and industries
- Brass
- Brass: Birmingham
- Brass: Lancaster
- Age of Steam
- Power Grid
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-driven action economy — Two types of cards (location and industry) drive actions and placements, with timing and discard costs.
- Deck-driven end game — Game ends when the draw deck runs out and a player is out of cards; speed varies by map.
- Loans — Loans provide actions but accrue interest each round; endgame scoring interacts with debt.
- loans and interest — Loans provide actions but accrue interest each round; endgame scoring interacts with debt.
- Network/route building — Rail lines earn money and end-game points based on network connectivity and city/port placement.
- Presence-based placement — Building requires 'presence' on a location; presence is established via cards and ships.
- Rail and port-network routing — Rail lines earn money and end-game points based on network connectivity and city/port placement.
- Sea lanes and shipments — Sea lanes connect distant locations; shipping yields cash and enables market presence.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- If you like brass, you probably like Age of Industry.
- Age of Industry is really good game.
- It's easier to teach than brass.
- This feels streamlined compared to Brass.