How To Play: Brew

So, Brew is all about clever resource management, sharp dice placement, and knowing the perfect time to chug those wild potions. After too many chaotic nights with my friends, I learned that blocking spots, planning your moves, and using potions at the right moment are key to mastering How To Play brew.

Brew: Box Cover Front

Overview

Last Friday night, my friends and I tried to out-wizard each other in Brew. Spoiler: I still owe Greg a soda for burning down my forest. In this guide, I’ll show you How To Play brew with a rundown of the game rules and my favorite ways to crush the competition. If you like winning (and who doesn’t?), this is the post for you!

What’s in the box

  • 1 Forest Board
  • 4 Player Boards
  • 20 Forage Dice (5 per player)
  • 16 Element Dice (4 per player)
  • 64 Ingredient Tokens
  • 42 Potion Cards
  • 38 Creature Cards
  • 18 Forest Cards
  • 1 Day Tracker Token
  • 1 Rulebook
  • 24 Fire Tokens
  • 36 Energy Tokens
  • 28 Berry Tokens
  • 28 Mushroom Tokens
  • 28 Leaf Tokens
  • 24 Victory Point Tokens

How To Play Brew: Rules Summary

Setup

  1. Give each player a set of colored dice and a player board. I recommend picking your favorite color dice — it helps you channel your inner woodland sorcerer.
  2. Shuffle the forest and day cards, then lay out four of each in the middle. Spread them like a buffet, because you’ll want to grab them all.
  3. Place the potion tiles, ingredient tokens, and creatures where everyone can reach. If you put them too far, someone will definitely knock over a drink reaching for them (I speak from sad experience).
  4. Each player gets two random starting potions and two starting ingredient tokens. Check for accidental potion hoarding. Yes, Dave, we see you.

Gameplay

  1. On your turn, roll all your dice. If you have better luck than me, expect sixes. If not, apologies in advance.
  2. Place one of your dice on a forest or day space, OR use it for a special action on your board or potion. Think of it as choosing between adventure and mixing questionable potions.
  3. Collect rewards from the space your die lands on — mostly ingredients, which you’ll use to brew potions. If you’re like my friend Jenny, you hoard mushrooms. Not judging.
  4. After everyone has placed their dice, brew potions, claim forests, and use creatures. The chaos gets real here! Don’t forget to cackle maniacally if you block someone’s plan.
  5. Reroll and repeat until all the day and night cards are gone. It’s not as endless as it sounds, even if your group debates every move for ten minutes.

Winning

  1. Add up your points from potions, forests, and creatures. If you can still count after all the cackling.
  2. Whoever has the most points wins. If it’s a tie, the winner is whoever has the most potions left — or whoever gets the loudest victory howl. (Officially, though, it’s the potions.)

Special Rules & Conditions

  1. Some spaces only allow certain dice. If you sneakily place a die where it doesn’t belong, expect to be roasted by the group (and asked to read the How To Play brew rules again).
  2. Potions can break normal rules, so use them wisely — or chaotically, depending on your style.
  3. If a forest or day card runs out of spaces, tough luck. Plan better next time! Or brew a potion and try again.

With these rules, you’re ready to cast, brew, and outwit your friends. If you ever forget, just yell, “How To Play brew?” and watch everyone scramble for the rulebook. Enjoy!

Best Brew Strategies

Mastering Resource Management in Brew: My Wildest Tips

Plan Your Gathering Like a Squirrel in Winter

I’ve learned that grabbing resources early often means more options later. Don’t wait around! Get what you can when you can.

  1. Snatch up the rare resources before your friends even blink.
  2. Grab what others ignore—sometimes those are power moves.

Spending Wisely: Don’t Blow It All On Shiny Stuff

I wasted all my berries once. Never again! Think before using resources for potions. Ask yourself: is it worth it?

  1. Save for bigger moves instead of spending on every small benefit.
  2. Watch your opponents and copy their thriftiness if it works.

Minding the Supply: The Tug-of-War Game

Keep an eye on what’s left in the market. If you see your buddies hoarding, snag your share or block their plans.

  1. Count resources left in the pile—knowledge is power!
  2. If someone wants all the stones, grab a few just to mess with them. It works.

Remember, good resource management is the secret sauce in How To Play brew—and sometimes, why your friends glare at you across the table.

Dominate with Smart Dice Placement in Brew

Block the Best Spots

Every turn, I aim to block the juiciest forest tiles first. These spots often give rare ingredients. If I can grab those, my friends always groan. That’s when I know I’m doing it right!

  1. Spot the resources everyone needs.
  2. Place your die there before anyone else can.

Boost Your Own Plans

Next up, I look for actions that match my potion goals. After all, with the right dice, I get closer to brewing for big points.

  1. Check your potions before each roll.
  2. Place dice where you can finish them fast.

Mess with Your Opponents

Finally, if I can’t get what I want, I settle for chaos. Taking spots that annoy my pals is my backup plan. It’s not always nice, but hey, it works!

  1. Watch your friends’ boards.
  2. Place dice to spoil their turns if you must.

If you follow these, you’ll see why dice placement makes or breaks your game. If only I could roll the right numbers every time! How To Play brew just got a little sneakier.

Mastering Potion Timing in Brew: Sip or Save?

Know Your Potions

Every potion in Brew comes with a special power. Since some change the game a lot, study what each one does before you chug it like cheap soda.

  1. Read potion effects closely.
  2. Match effects to what you need.

When to Use, When to Wait

If you blow your potions early, you might miss a big combo later. Instead, watch the board and your friends. Wait for big moments, then act.

  1. Hold potions for critical turns.
  2. Drink them to spoil an opponent’s sneaky plan.

Plan Combos

Sometimes potions work best together. I once cleared half the forest, just because I drank two at the right time! Plan for these epic turns.

  1. Line up potions for chain reactions.
  2. Pair potion use with How To Play brew advanced maneuvers.

Ready to Rule the Forest?

Alright, that’s it folks! If you ever see a group of woodland creatures bickering over mushrooms, you’ll know you’re playing Brew right. After many games, I’ve learned the hard way that smart moves beat wild rolling—except that one time when my friend Sam rolled all sixes and made me question if this is a strategy game or a hidden dice-rolling contest.

Just remember: keep an eye on resources, place your dice like you mean it, and chug those potions at the right time. Mix in a little chaos (because someone always decides to mess things up), and you’ll master How To Play brew with style. Now, go forth and tame that magical mess of a forest—preferably before your buddy drinks all the potions, like my cousin did. Good luck, and may the best brewer win!

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

Jamie in his proper element: With all of his board games
Jamie Hopkins

With years of dice-rolling, card-flipping, and strategic planning under my belt, I've transformed my passion into expertise. I thrive on dissecting the mechanics and social dynamics of board games, sharing insights from countless game nights with friends. I dive deep into gameplay mechanics, while emphasizing the social joys of gaming. While I appreciate themes and visuals, it's the strategy and camaraderie that truly capture my heart.