Roxley Games has launched the Gamefound campaign for Brass: Pittsburgh, and backers have responded with serious enthusiasm. The campaign blew past its $500,000 goal on the first day, raising over $2.3 million from thousands of backers before the dust had even settled.
For the uninitiated, the Brass series is kind of a big deal. Brass: Birmingham currently holds the number one spot on BoardGameGeek — the highest-rated board game of all time out of over 150,000 entries. The original Brass (now called Brass: Lancashire) has been a top-40 staple since 2007. So when Roxley announced a third standalone entry, ears perked up across the hobby.
Brass: Pittsburgh is co-designed by Gavan Brown, who co-designed Birmingham, alongside original Brass creator Martin Wallace. It shifts the setting from industrial England to America's Steel Belt during the Gilded Age, casting players as ruthless tycoons in the mould of Carnegie and Rockefeller. The game introduces new mechanics around railways, pipelines, steel mills, and oil refineries while keeping the interconnected economic engine that makes Brass so compelling.
The campaign offers a standard edition at $79, a collector's edition at $125, and a triple bundle with Pittsburgh, Lancashire, and Birmingham for $350. Roxley has also introduced a "Hi-Vis" board designed to reduce glare — a small but appreciated quality-of-life touch. Backers can even choose between three different box cover paintings by Mr. Cuddington.
The game plays 2-4 players in 60-120 minutes, which puts it squarely in that meaty-but-not-all-evening sweet spot. If you've been eyeing the Brass series or you're already a fan, this is one to watch. The campaign is live now on Gamefound.