Brew Crafters Board Game

Playing with advanced locations definitely made the game more interesting. The intern space specifically was pretty useful as it gives additional workers to use in a game where you typically only effectively have 4 workers on average for the whole game.I love how the game feels different from our first game with just a different set of skilled workers available. There were fewer resource engine abailable this time, but there were a few turn extenders. I also love how the advanced lab boards change the game. It provides a focus and additional powerful abilities. In this second game, both of us went with different strategies and both are viable. Sheila went full beer brewing, by mid-game she has a reliable engine to keep brewing Apricot Ale, a 5-point beer. I went with skilled workers combination and going for the gold labels. I only brewed 7 batches in the end, but I had many Rep points and workers for lab scoring at the end. Ultimately still lost narrowly to Sheila with her 14 batches.This is a crunchy game though, multiple times we slowed down, looked at our storage, re-arranged some of the ingredients to separate them into different recipes, looked at our lab boards and skilled workers, just to plan ahead on what else do we need to do. The addition of interns, while definitely very useful and interesting, compounded this. With more actions, we suddenly had more things to consider. All this said, it's really fun. The theme is fun, the flow is simple, the puzzle presented is also engaging. We find ourselves always thinking of how to brew more batches, how to maximize the process beer action, and optimize our engine. Really fun!

I had followed this game for a while on Kickstarter, and have been waiting for it to be released so that I could play for myself. This game has a LOT of pieces, so it can be overwhelming when trying to explain the rules and the ins and outs to someone who has never played the game before. However, it is actually pretty easy to play. There are a lot of good explanations for possible actions, and by the end of several turns, most people that I've played with have a pretty good understanding of what to do. I like the fact that there are so many variations that can happen within a game, that each one is truly a very different game. It definitely helps your game play if you have a general idea of craft brewing.This is a great game if you are looking for something different from the standard games we are used to. There are lots of options for a player to choose between, which keeps you on your toes. It's definitely more involved than Settlers of Catan, but if you can put in 15 mins of reading the rules, you'll see that you will really enjoy this game. I would love to see an app version of this game as well.

One of my favorite board games of all time. The components are great quality and there's a lot of them. Thankfully they give you a plentiful amount of bags for storage. I think in the end I might get a better storage solution, but only because I know the excessive use this game will get after the half dozen play-throughs I've done already. As much Agricola like as you can get with some modern twists and a better theme, it certainly is a Euro style worker placement that breeds competition for high value spaces. But it also has one giant improvement: you don't have to be a jack of all trades. If you just want to brew stouts and age them in an oak barrelhouse, better plan to grab the barrelhouse manager and you can safely forget about the ales and porters. Or conversely, build a brewpub and grab the brewpub manager and do anything but the stouts for quick points and money. Maybe start using hop infusers with all your extra cash to bring in even more points. I adore this game and hope they come up with some expansions in the next year.

Got this game for my home brewing boyfriend and he just adores it! Don't think you need to be "into beer" for this game though. It's a fun game!If you're into Euro games it really reminds me of a mix between Agricola and Scoville.Basically, you own a small town brewery and your in competition with other new small breweries. The goal is to gain more "Rep" the more you brew! But don't forget you need to beat your competitors to resources, brew the fanciest beer, and pay your workers!We've played this game twice in "beginner" mode but think we have a good enough idea to step it up to the more advanced play!Good quality pieces and cards. The box is heavy and there are a lot of little pieces! Definitely recommend getting customer piece holders for the game to make clean up and set up easier!

I like the complexity. The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is because my husband beats me at it every single time we play because he is more willing to take financial risks than I am. Apparently I am not even good at using fictional credit! ;)