If you love magical forests, cute animals, and turning your friends into enemies over a handful of dice, then you might just be in the right place! This is my review of Brew—a game that promises enchanting artwork, a whimsical setting, and the chance to argue about mushrooms like you’re at a family dinner. I played this one with my usual crew, and wow, did it serve up plenty of surprises. Read on to find out if Brew’s charm holds up once the dice stop rolling and the dust settles!
How It Plays
Setting up
First, plop the forest board in the middle. Each of you grabs a player board, some colorful dice, and a pile of ingredient tokens. Lay out creatures, potions, and the forest cards. Give everyone their little stash of energy (don’t drink it though, save it for the game).
Gameplay
Take turns rolling your dice, then place them onto the forest cards. You can gather resources, claim critters, or straight-up mess with another player’s plans (honestly, it’s half the fun). Brew is a wild mix of worker placement and area control, with a sprinkle of potion brewing and chaos. Every turn gives you choices – help yourself, hinder a friend, or play it safe and stockpile ingredients for later shenanigans.
Winning the game
When all the forest cards are gone, count up your points. Get points for controlled forests, tamed creatures, leftover potions, and pretty much anything you hoarded. The player with the most points wins and, unofficially, earns bragging rights as Supreme Forest Brewer (at least until the next game).
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Brew.
Unleashing Whimsy: The Artwork and Theme of Brew
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a pack of raccoons stole a wizard’s herb garden and then opened their own microbrewery, look no further than Brew. This game grabs your eyeballs and gives them a sparkly, animated hug. The artwork, done by Jake Morrison, is off-the-wall in the best way. He somehow mixes cute with slightly unhinged, and it fits the world perfectly. You’ll spot all sorts of odd critters—think woodland spirits who have definitely seen some stuff—and each one looks like it could star in its own cartoon spin-off. The creatures don’t just look different, they radiate personality. There’s a fox with a wizard hat, I swear it was judging my every move.
Brew’s theme is a charming mashup of magic, potion brewing, and nature gone wild. The story plonks you into a forest where time’s gone bonkers, day and night overlap, and you must wrangle magical creatures and forage ingredients to brew the best potions. The vibe is equal parts Studio Ghibli, Saturday morning cartoons, and “my plants are plotting against me.” Every card, token, and board tile screams theme. Even the dice look like little enchanted stones you’d find in a fairy’s messy sock drawer.
While it’s clear the publisher, Pandasaurus Games, poured their soul into the theme, I did chuckle when my friend Tom said, “This is the only game where I felt sorry for a mushroom after stealing it.” Brew’s world feels alive, playful, and weirdly cozy, like a bedtime story written by someone who’s had too much root beer.
If you love strong artwork and a setting you can get lost in, Brew will stick in your memory long after the last spell is cast. Next up—prepare for some dice-rolling drama as we dig into Brew’s game mechanics and the wild player interactions that come with them!
Game Mechanics and Player Interaction in Brew
Brew throws you right into a forest where you juggle dice, collect wild critters, and fight for magical potions. It’s basically a woodland brawl, except instead of fists, you use dice—and instead of a black eye, you get a sense of mild betrayal when someone takes the spot you wanted most.
Each turn, you roll dice in different colors. Element dice work on the main board, letting you gather resources or control areas, while your own special dice can bend the rules in sneaky ways. The choices look simple at first, but as soon as Jess (our resident chaos agent) blocks my best move with a blue die, I. Lose. My. Mind. Strategic placement feels satisfying, unless you’re on the receiving end of a perfectly timed sabotage. Then it just feels personal.
Player interaction is spicy. You compete for forest control, collect creatures, and sometimes steal resources right out from under your friends. It’s the kind of game where you grimace, laugh, and threaten fake revenge. It walks a fine line—mean enough to be cutthroat, but so silly and thematic that you’re never really mad for long. My group found ourselves plotting, switching up strategies, and groaning when someone else beat us to the punch.
Brew keeps everyone engaged, because every die drop can topple someone’s plans. But is it all about skill, or does the dice luck have the last laugh? Get ready, because next up, I’ll spill all the beans (or at least some berries) on the balance between luck and strategy!
Luck vs. Strategy: Brewing the Perfect Potion?
Brew does a funny thing with luck and strategy. You roll dice each round, which decides what you can do. Sometimes you get the exact dice you want. Other times, your dice laugh at your plans. But here’s where it gets clever—once those dice leave your hand, it’s all about how smart you are with what you got.
The strategy part kicks in when you figure out where to place your dice. Do you try to control a forest, or go after berries and potions? If you just drop your dice anywhere, you’ll lose to the friend who plans three moves ahead. The potions add some chaos but also let you bend the rules. I found that using them at the right moment can save your bacon, or totally ruin your friend’s day. (Sorry, Rachel. Next time I’ll target Sam instead.)
Still, luck is not shy in Brew. I once watched my friend Sarah roll nothing but clouds for three turns. She looked like she wanted to yeet the dice into the next room. The game gives you ways to deal with bad luck, but those streaks can sting. You have to like a bit of chaos if you want to enjoy Brew. If you want zero luck, this isn’t your game. But if you like a puzzle with a dash of randomness, it can be magical.
Next up, let’s see how many times you’ll want to put the kettle on for another round and if anyone has time for a quick rematch after dinner.
Replayability and Game Length in Brew: Will You Want More?
I’ve played Brew with a bunch of different friend groups, and every session turned out different. That’s great news if you get bored quick. Brew tosses in a good mix of potion cards, forest tiles, and creature powers, which helps mix up the gameplay every time you set up the board. One time I brewed a potion and stole a fox, causing total chaos—not my proudest moment, but hey, memorable at least!
Now, as for the length—Brew isn’t a marathon. Most games with four players clock in just over an hour. This is about the sweet spot for me. It’s long enough to plot, scheme, and raise an eyebrow at your friends, but short enough that nobody will be checking their phone under the table. Turns can get a bit slower if your group likes to overthink every decision, but for the most part, it moves along briskly. Honestly, any longer and my snacks would run out.
Brew’s replay value does go up with the number of players, though I found it still fun with two. The chaos just shifts from wild brawls in the forest to more of a quiet standoff. Either way, there’s enough randomness in creature draws and potion choices to keep things spicy each time.
Would I recommend Brew? If you like a bit of chaos, enjoy different setups each time, and don’t mind a game that wraps up before bedtime snacks, Brew is worth a spot on your table.
Conclusion
Brew took my table by storm, with its wild art, zany animals, and the kind of dice mayhem that had us all cackling or groaning by turn. The game shines brightest when everyone leans into the chaos and outsmarts each other with clever moves. Yes, luck sometimes tramples over your master plan, but there’s enough strategy to keep it from feeling unfair (most of the time). If you want something that looks great and packs interactive fun into about an hour, Brew is a strong pick. If you hate luck deciding your fate, you might grumble, but for most, it’s a magical ride worth trying. This wraps up my review—now if you’ll excuse me, my friends want a rematch, and my wolf needs more shiny berries.
