I could have included Brass Empire in my Pax East 2016 coverage, but while I saw the game there, I actually got a chance to sit down and play the game with its designer at CT FIG.
Brass Empire is a deck-building game that bears some resemblance to Star Realms, yet takes the idea of starships and outputs a bit further using buildings, employees, and machines. While you’re building up your deck you’re also contracting buildings to give you more resources and power, and deploying units to attack your opponent and defend yourself. All of this is wrapped in the Steampunk work of Cobalt.
I’m a big fan of deck-builders, and Brass Empire definitely fits into my top 3 favorite deck-builders of all time. The theme is awesome, the gameplay is tight and tense, and the ability to play a solo variant against a boss card is excellent in a pinch when you don’t have another player.
Brass Empire is currently up for pre-order and is scheduled to be shipped in June, first to Kickstarter backers and then to pre-order customers. I’m eagerly awaiting mine so I can give it a shot with my 10-year-old.