Brass Lancashire

Lancashire, 1790s. Coal is king, cotton mills are spreading, and whoever controls the canal network controls everything. That's the setup, and it doesn't let up for two hours.

Brass: Lancashire is an economic strategy game for 2–4 players set across two eras: the canal phase and the rail phase. Each round you play cards from your hand to build industries, construct canal and rail connections, develop existing operations, or sell cotton to score victory points. The catch is that your cards also restrict where you can build — which means planning ahead and reading what your opponents might do is the whole game.

What separates Brass from other economic games is the two-phase structure. Everything built during the canal era is wiped away before the rail phase begins, so you're not just building for now — you're positioning yourself to expand fast once the reset hits. The turn order is determined by how much each player spent, which keeps everyone engaged even when it isn't their turn. When you use an opponent's coal mine to build your rail, that mine scores for them — reluctant cooperation in a competitive game, and it creates genuinely interesting decisions.

This is a game for players who want to think two or three moves ahead. The Industrial Revolution setting is surprisingly concrete, and Martin Wallace's design has aged remarkably well since its original release in 2007. The 2018 Roxley edition brings new artwork and a few rules refinements, including better two-player rules and a cleaner three-player experience.

At a BGG complexity rating of 3.8 out of 5, Brass: Lancashire earns its weight — plan for 90 minutes to three hours depending on player count, and expect to want a rematch immediately after.