Gavan Brown - Director, Roxley Games

Hello again friends,

Thank you for joining us on this journey with Brass: Pittsburgh. As the director and lead designer of Brass: Pittsburgh, I will be posting in this forum to respond to questions about the game from time to time, as well as posting updates on where we are at with game development, creative, and crowdfunding status.

Consider following our Gamefound pre-launch page to stay up to date as we roll out info on the game's design, artwork, and components leading up to launch:
https://gamefound.com/en/projects/roxley/brass-pittsburgh

Game Development Status

• Each new Brass title is required to prove its right to exist through innovative mechanisms, interesting dynamics, and fresh story telling. As I stated previously, I have no interest in making the Matrix 4.
• The game's design is complete. I gave this game everything I have as a designer and spent an immense amount of time obsessing over ways to push the design space to its limits. After finishing the design, I feel like there is still more to explore in the Brass system.
• Playtesters feel the game is very different and unique, while also expressing that it feels like a true Brass title.
• I started this project with a desire to make the game more minimalist than Birmingham. But as I researched all the important booming industries over the last few years, it became clear that this was not the game or the region to go ultra minimalist, so that goal will likely be applied to the next title.
• I included as many of the most relevant industries as possible while trying to keep the game feeling as tight as possible.
• Adam Wyse & James Van Neikerk have been utterly amazing with development and balance.
• We included as many of the most important cities of the region that the map would allow. Possibly most difficult one to remove was Fort Wayne, which space on the map would simply not allow.
• Right now we are focused on ensuring that the game plays at a good pace, and that we remove points of frustration and AP.
• The game is being internally playtested multiple times per week. We have also expanded playtesting to external playtesters. We will be inviting some of the most skilled Brass players in the world to playtest the game and give their opinions on strategic depth and balance.

Crowdfunding & Creative Status

• After much consideration, the game will be launched in February 2026. This will allow us to ensure that we are able to maximize the game's design, balance, and presentation to a level deserved by our fans and this community.
• The game will launch on Gamefound, because it has so many new and useful features that simply cannot be ignored.
• The crowdfunding campaign will allow backers to choose one of three box covers, each of which were painted by Mr. Cuddington.
• There will be one provocative cover, one that focuses on the workers, and the train one, which is simply pleasing to the eye.
• At Roxley we like to innovate our games in all aspects, including components. We will be offering several never before seen component features in this game, one of which is a Hi-Vis board, which reflects very little direct light thereby greatly reducing glare.
  

Thematic Note

At Roxley, we acknowledge the exploitation of workers, children, and marginalized groups including women, Indigenous peoples, and the Black community, that fueled industrial growth during Pittsburgh's Gilded Age. While Brass: Pittsburgh focuses on the economic and industrial aspects of this era, we recognize the human cost behind it. We do not romanticize unbridled capitalism nor glorify the robber barons of the time, but rather aim to explore this complex chapter of history through its industries and innovations.

Keep Rollin' Sixes,

Gavan

Links

BGG Page - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/452264/brass-pittsburgh
Website - https://roxley.com/products/brass-pittsburgh
Gamefound pre-launch page - https://gamefound.com/en/projects/roxley/brass-pittsburgh