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Brass Empire: New Canton
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Brass Empire
2016
Rules assistance for Brass Empire
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–5 players
- 30–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.2/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Brass Empire
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Brass Empire is a board game released in 2016 for 1–5 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Mike Gnade and its main mechanics are Open Drafting and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
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About the game
Brass Empire is a steampunk-themed deck-building game where each player takes on the role of a different corporation to hire the best employees, construct buildings, and manufacture steam-powered machines. Players battle and sabotage each other to amass economic wealth and influence to win the game. Overview: Welcome to the steampunk world of Cobalt. For centuries, Cobalt has been ruled by corporations seeking to enhance their wealth and influence with Brass. Brass doesn’t just fuel the economy but literally fuels the technology and transportation of the world through its unique thermodynamic properties. Every day these companies compete and battle to expand their territory and authority. Companies work to optimize their labor force and resources to mine the most Brass in each territory through corporate espionage, technology, security, and even sabotage. You work for such a company and have been tasked with expanding into a new region by constructing new corporate buildings, hiring employees, and battling other companies in the area. The player who earns the most Brass will lead his company to victory in the region. Each turn, you will play Employee cards from your hand to gain resources. These resources will allow you to acquire new Employees, Buildings and Units for your deck. Along the way, you will acquire buildings to enhance your hold on the region and command units to attack other companies and mine for Brass. At the end of the game, the player with the most Brass is the winner.
Designers
Publishers
- Rock Manor Games
- Tabletop Tycoon Inc.
Questions and answers
Brass Empire supports 1–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Brass Empire is 30–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Brass Empire for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Brass Empire has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Brass Empire belongs to these categories: Card Game, Economic, and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Open Drafting and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Brass Empire are: Mike Gnade. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Brass Empire as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.