Brass: Birmingham Review - with Tom Vasel

Tom Vasel takes a look at the new Brass game from Martin Wallace.
00:00 - Introduction
02:01 - Game overview
03:41 - Final thoughts

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[luisdlcz]

This guy is capable of opening up and share deeply intimate aspects of his life, in order to explain a personal bias. You've got to appreciate this.
I can't help feeling deep admiration and respect. This is an honest person.
All the best Mr. Tom. You are the best.

[jonathandodd]

Tom, this review is excellent. I love Brass: Birmingham, it's quickly become a favorite of mine, but you do an awesome job of explaining positives and negatives of B:B and why it didn't work for you, especially the way the game made you feel. I personally would prefer that every game review was like this -- don't waste time on a vague rules explanation -- instead spend more time explaining why the game works (or doesn't work) for you, like you did here!

[w.b.anderson]

A truly valuable review. For those who find it strange or 'wrong' that Tom didn't enjoy the game, I would ask: what is he supposed to do? Pretend to like it because he recognizes it is a well-made game that many others will enjoy? He clearly has the experience and expertise to know what he likes and doesn't, and to identify why. I'd much rather have honesty and the careful explanation of his viewpoint so I can see where I'm likely to agree with him and so better judge if I'd enjoy a game.

[JamesFincham]

Great review Tom. You conveyed what makes this hobby so great; that you can respect the design of a game whilst also understanding that it can suit a certain audience but not work for you. I love this honesty.

[GiovaneHenry]

Hey Tom! I am a follower from Italy, who lives now in Belgium. I have watched plenty of reviews by the Dice Tower, and I have to admit my favourit of you 3 guys is Zee. That said, this review of yours is stunning even if I never played the game: very clear, extremely rational, and also intimate. Because of this last point, I send you a big hug. Thank you for your high quality videos, and for sharing your opinions with sincerity. I wish you all the best.

[Vadimaster]

Brass (and I mean both Lancashire as Birmingham) is one of my favorite games. I might be a heavy Euro gamer, but I like an evening of good, simple dice chucking with Arcadia Quest as well. That being said, this game requires strategic insight and planning. If you don’t like that in your games, then Brass just isn’t for you. Plenty of other games to choose, catering to anyone’s taste. I was stunned that Tom decided to review this game. I knew it wouldn’t be for him. He was fair to the game though. And yes, you need to play it many times to master it, but the people that enjoy this kind of game get a huge mental pay out from mastering the game and seeing their strategies getting rewarded. I love this game, but I too can see that this feeling will not be universal among board gamers. Thank god we have such different tastes and interests, since it fuels the diversity in games and in the hobby.

[CatTastic]

I love this game and I understand Tom's review. Everyone has their own style/preference.

[keel]

My biggest take away from this review is - congratulations Tom on overcoming debt! It's a tough grind and always good to hear people who have survived it.

Also, I prefer this review style over your normal style. The gameplay overviews are nice but this was informative and did a great job expressing your opinion.

[MafiulRobin]

Brass Birmingham is now #1 in BGG. It's an amazing game. I played it around 500 times.

[dTones]

Randomly stumbled into this review and it's one of my favourites. This is a superb example of how to make a review useful regardless of whether the reviewer liked or disliked the game. Bravo!

[deanofgames]

A courageous and honest review despite the wide popularity of Brass Birmingham.

This may be one of the best reviews I’ve seen.

[mrdrofficer]

I've been watching the Dice Tower for about 8 years now. Sometimes for the walkthrough, often for the opinion. But this is now my favorite. Great analysis, personal and really helpful for fans and people interested in the game.

[dansioui]

Can’t fault a reviewer speaking from the heart! The way you expressed your opinion should not generate any negative comments, only respect and understanding. Well done!

[oligarkhia]

The first couple of times I played Brass I felt kind of like Tom did in this review. It was hard, it wasn't intuitive, and it felt like work. However, some in my group really like the game and I was always at least willing to play it. Now after a dozen or so plays, it has become one of my top ten games. I completely understand why some people don't like it (there are those in my group that like almost all the same games I do that refuse to play Brass) but all I can say is while there are not many games that I will ever tell people to "suffer through" the first couple of games, Brass is one of the select few on that list. But hey, Tom, thanks for giving a review of a top rated game that you don't like, you keeping it honest is one of the reasons I watch your reviews.

[Hey_Fab]

This is one of the best board game review I've seen. It was honest and very informative. Thank you!

[george_castle]

I love Tom, this was such a great review. He is always very upfront with the expectations of his reviews. He adds a bit of a personal touch to it as well, which is great because it reminds you that he does game reviews, not a sales pitch. Thanks Tom!

[DeanMillam]

It's not for everyone. But it is for me! Love it! I think I'll take another loan.

[jchangaus]

I love the tightness of the game, I find the 2 moves per turn to be really intense, and I love that spending a little too much money one round which puts you at a different turn order can ruin your plans.

[ralelunar]

"Here's some options, but you better find the right one or you're going to lose." - Tom sums up why I also didn't like B:B after my first play.


I didn't have a great teacher, so I got thrown into a 4-player game and absolutely bombed in the canal era.

[DonnydeOlim]

I found, not long ago, your channel... and I started to appreciate and respect your game board opinion. Today, I respect more yet your human side!!! Great video, AS ALWAYS!!! I’m still trying to buy this game in Spanish, although, like you, I think it will be a bit mental heavy! Thank you for your review!