How To Play: Brew

Overview

If you’ve ever wondered how to stop your friends from toasting you at Brew, you’re in the right place. In this handy guide, I’ll give you a quick outline of the game rules, then spill the beans on my best strategies for winning. I’ll even throw in a few funny stories from my last game night—because learning How To Play brew should always include a laugh.

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 4 Player Boards
• 20 Forage Dice (5 per player, in 4 colors)
• 12 Element Dice
• 36 Forest Cards
• 24 Creature Cards
• 60 Ingredient Tokens
• 56 Energy Tokens
• 12 Potion Cards
• 64 Potion Tokens
• 1 Day/Night Marker
• 1 First Player Marker
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Brew: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Give each player a player board, dice, and one random starting companion.
2. Shuffle the forest cards and lay out four in the center.
3. Set up the supply of ingredients and creatures within everyone’s reach.
4. Place the day/night tokens and potion supply on the table. (Don’t knock them over like I did, unless you want chaos.)
5. Pick a first player. We always argue over this, but the rulebook says the last person to see a real animal starts.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, roll your dice. Try not to blame your luck, but you will.
2. Take turns placing one die at a time, using either your element or forest dice.
3. When you place a die, you can do actions like collecting ingredients, controlling forests, or brewing potions.
4. Use ingredients to brew potions and drink them for special effects. (If only real potions worked that way.)
5. Recruit new creatures for extra bonus powers. Try not to hoard all the cute animals unless you want angry friends.

Winning

1. After four rounds, count your points from controlled forests, completed potions, and tamed creatures.
2. The player with the most points wins. If you tie, settle it with your best wolf howl (the rulebook actually says the one with the fewest leftover ingredients wins—but we like howling).

Special Rules & Conditions

1. Potions can flip the rules—use them anytime unless it says otherwise.
2. If all forests are controlled before the round ends, skip straight to scoring.
3. Can’t place a die? Forfeit it and watch your friends snicker.

That’s How To Play brew in a nutshell. Trust me, once you brew your first potion and steal a forest from your best friend, you’ll get the hang of it fast!

Best Brew Strategies

Mastering Resource Management in Brew: Outfox Your Friends!

Gather Everything (But Don’t Hoard)

Everyone wants all the berries, herbs, and crystals. Instead, use this simple plan to outsmart the table:

1. Plan turns by checking which resources you’ll need for potions and creatures.
2. Snatch what others want before they can get it. Yes, even if they shoot you a dirty look.
3. Use trades only when it pushes your plan forward, not just because you can.

Keep an Eye on Potions

Potions can change the game. Here’s what to do:

1. Stockpile ingredients for the most useful potions early.
2. Don’t brew everything—pick the ones that mess with your rivals the most.

Adapt When Resources Run Out

Nothing worse than coming up short on berries. Try this:

1. Have a backup for each resource. If you can’t get berries, go for mushrooms instead.
2. Watch your friends’ stashes and block what they need for How To Play brew masterfully.

Mastering Dice Placement: Brew Like a Pro

Timing Matters

1. Act early to grab powerful forest spots before your friends do.
2. Wait for the perfect moment to block an opponent’s key move.

Choose Your Dice Wisely

1. Pick dice colors that help you control more areas.
2. Match dice to the powers that fit your current goal.

Adapt to the Board

1. Shift tactics if forests fill up fast.
2. Always use creature abilities to shake things up.

Learning How To Play brew well means mixing clever dice placement with sneaky blocks. Trust me, nothing’s better than outsmarting your friends!

Unleashing Creature Power: Timing is Everything in Brew!

Start Early with Creature Collection

1. Snag creatures right away to outpace your rivals.
2. Pick creatures whose powers match your play style.

Use Abilities for Game-Changing Moments

1. Hold off on using a creature power until it can swing a round in your favor.
2. Stack abilities for turns when you need to outsmart your friends.

Watch Opponents’ Moves

1. Note which abilities your pals might use soon.
2. Time your own powers right before big plays from them.

I found in my group that waiting one turn with the right creature gave me the win. How To Play brew often comes down to these creature moments.

Victory (Or Chaos) Awaits in Brew!

So there you have it—my best tricks for surviving the wild, wacky world of Brew. Remember, resource management wins games, dice placement wins friends, and smart creature timing wins bragging rights. Most important tip: always keep a snack handy because turns can get heated! If you want to know How To Play brew like a seasoned forest wizard, just remember these tips and the chaos will work in your favor. Go forth and brew up some fun!

Want to know what we think of Brew? Read our detailed review of Brew here