Sunday afternoon Jonathan kindly agreed to meet up and play a learning game of Microbrew.

Microbrew is a worker placement game that is all about brewing craft beers and gaining loyal customers, that all fits into a small tin.

A single copy of the game plays 2 players. So if you want to play 3-4 players you need a second copy.

In our game I replaced the white wooden disk used as the manager token on the brewery with the cute little elephant meeple that came with the game. Why not? I thought looks better than a white disk.

The brewery is where you select your action that you want to take. If you place a worker where an opponent’s worker is that worker returns to your opponent. Basically giving them an extra action to take. Place your worker where the manager is and your opponent gets to take an action without using a worker.

During a round players alternate placing a worker and carrying out the action selected.

At a minimum you get 2 actions a round using your 2 workers. But you can hire a third worker. Plus any bonus actions as described above.

A round ends when both players have passed, and you retrieve your workers and other upkeep stuff.

The game ends when either the last customer card comes out and a final round has been played, or immediately if there are 12 loyal customers. Person with most loyal customers wins.

That’s a very rough outline of game play there are some other bits I’ve skipped. But that gives you the general idea.

For a small game there is a lot going on.

Personally I can’t see why this game is so small, or has to be. I think it would benefit from being larger. Take it up to Tiny Epic box size, it’s still pretty portable, could support 2-4 players without having to purchase additional copies, have the beer mat copper and brewery replacements (that I think were part of the Kickstarter).

If we compare it to Mint Works, that plays 1-4 out of a tin. Admittedly it’s a lighter game. However I only need the one copy. Where as I don’t like the having to buy 2 copies to play 2-4 players. Surely having to carry 2 copies around negates that it fits in the pocket argument?

I liked the puzzle element that you have in the game. Manipulating your copper so that you can match up with the recipes as best as possible.

Jonathan didn’t like the final round once the end game trigger had happened, as it was a dead round for him. There wasn’t anything he could score, so he didn’t want to take any actions. But that is a failing of that mechanic. Other games use it as well, and I know why it’s there, that last chance to grab a final point that might give a person victory or a tie. In those other games I’ve certainly had games where that round has been pointless as there was nothing I could do to get more points. It’s just not bothered me as much. Admittedly in this case if I’d had one more action I would have grabbed one more loyal customer. If Jonathan had bounced a worker back to me I would have been able to do that extra action. He needed to avoid doing that. Which he did. But Jonathan will I’m sure explain in the comments much more eloquently than me his feelings on this.

The rule book isn’t brilliant. It’s not entirely clear in spots. I think this is a victim of trying to explain a complicated game in a small space.

As worker placement games go, it’s ok. But I’m not sure if it will get much table time.

If I want that portable scratch the worker placement itch then it has to be Mint Works, it plays more people, it’s quicker, and easier to teach. If I want something meatier which this certainly is, then I’d go for the bigger boxed worker placement games that I enjoy.

History will record Jonathan won.