Overview

Brew is a dice-placement game where players are mystics trying to restore balance to an enchanted forest where all seasons exist at once. Players roll dice and place them strategically in Forests to gather potion ingredients, train woodland creatures, and gain area control over Forests. They also place dice in a Village for special actions. The player with the most Victory Points after 4 rounds wins.

Components

• 1 Village board (double-sided: Day/Night)
• 1 First player marker
• 4 Character boards (double-sided: with/without powers)
• 16 Forage dice (4 per player, colored)
• 8 Element dice (2 per player, white)
• 20 Forest cards
• 36 Creature cards (4 seasonal piles)
• 32 Potion cards
• 4 Reference cards
• 96 Ingredient tokens (24 each: Herbs, Shrooms, Crystals, Energy Berries)
• 38 VP tokens (1s and 3s)
• 10 Scorch tokens

Setup

1. Place Village board (Day side up) in center.
2. Remove Forest cards not matching player count. Shuffle and deal row: 3 Forests (2P), 4 (3P), 5 (4P).
3. Shuffle Potion cards; reveal 4 for the market.
4. Place ingredient tokens, scorch tokens, and VP tokens as supply.
5. Divide Creature cards into 4 seasonal piles; place faceup.
6. Each player takes: Character board, 4 colored Forage dice, 2 white Element dice, 1 Energy Berry, 1 reference card.
7. Optionally use Character power side (recommended to skip in first game).
8. Last player to brew tea/coffee gets first player marker.

Turn Structure

The game plays over 4 rounds. Each round:

1. All players roll all 6 dice (locked in for the round).
2. Players take turns clockwise from first player.
3. When all dice are placed, end of round occurs.

Each Turn (3 steps, any order):

1. Place 1 die from your pool (mandatory)
2. Brew 1 Potion from the market (optional)
3. Drink 1 Potion from your hand (optional)

When you have no dice left, your turn is skipped for the rest of the round. You cannot brew or drink potions without a die to place.

Actions

Placing Dice in Forests

• Forage die: Place on a space showing the matching Forage symbol.
• Element die: Place on any Forage symbol space in a Forest.
• Spaces are blocked once occupied (one die per space, with Fire exception).

Gathering Ingredients: Place on an ingredient space to take 1 matching token (Herb, Shroom, or Crystal).

Training Creatures: Place on a Creature space to take any faceup Creature from the 4 piles. Place it near your Character board (max 4 active Creatures).

Element Dice Powers (Forest only)

When placing an Element die in a Forest, you may also use its power:

• Water: Gather +2 of the ingredient (3 total instead of 1).
• Fire: Place on top of another die in a Forest. Covered die no longer counts for control. Gather/train from that space.
• Wind: Place on your own Forage die’s space to return that Forage die to your pool (granting an extra turn later). Gather/train normally.

Placing Dice in the Village

• Element spaces: Place matching Element die for the printed special action.
• “Any die” spaces (top 2): Any die, any symbol. Never blocked. Actions: gather 1 of each basic ingredient, or other effects.
• Village flips between Day and Night each round, changing available actions.

Forcing a Forage Die

If a Forage die’s symbol doesn’t match a space, pay 1 of the ingredient shown on that space (or 1 Energy Berry) to place it there anyway. Do not gather when forcing.

Brewing Potions

Pay the ingredient cost in the top-left corner of a Potion card. Energy Berries are wild (count as any ingredient). Take the Potion into your hand (hidden). Replace from deck.

Drinking Potions

Reveal a Potion from your hand, resolve its power, then tuck it facedown behind your Character board. Each Potion can only be drunk once. Drunk Potions still score VP.

Potion Powers:

• Move: Move any placed Forage die to a different empty space (no gathering).
• Change: Rotate one of your unplaced dice to any face.
• Swap: Swap any 2 placed Forage dice with the same symbol.

Reserving Potions

Some Village actions let you reveal the top Potion and choose it or one from the market to reserve. Reserved Potions can only be brewed by you.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Game End: After 4 rounds (Forest deck empty).

Final Scoring:

• VP from brewed Potions (in hand or drunk)
• VP from claimed Forest cards
• VP from Creature bonuses (paired with matching-season Forests)
• VP from remaining ingredient tokens (varies)

Winner: Most VP. Tiebreakers not specified (shared victory if tied).

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Controlling Forests

At end of each round, you control a Forest if BOTH conditions are true:

1. You have more Forage dice there than each other player individually.
2. You have more Forage dice there than the total number of Element dice in the Forest.

Ties = no one controls. Element dice count against ALL players (even the one who placed them).

Claiming and Discarding Forests

• Controlled Forests are claimed (placed near your board for end-game VP).
• Unclaimed Forests are discarded (not returned to deck).

Scorch Tokens

Placed on empty Forest spaces via certain powers. Scorched spaces cannot be used.

Releasing Creatures

Creatures paired with a claimed Forest of matching season score bonus VP.

Character Powers

Optional asymmetric abilities on the Character board’s power side. All players must agree to use them.

Two-Player Adjustments

Use 3 Forest cards per round. Some Forest cards are removed based on player count icons.

Player Reference

Round Structure:

1. Roll all 6 dice
2. Take turns placing dice (+ optional brew/drink)
3. Claim controlled Forests
4. Use end-of-round Creature powers
5. Check game end (deck empty?)
6. Set up next round (take back dice, flip Village, deal new Forests, pass first player)

Dice Types: | Die | Placement Rules | |—–|—————-| | Forage (colored) | Matching symbol in Forests or Village | | Element (white) | Any Forest space OR matching Village space |

Element Powers (Forest only): | Element | Power | |———|——-| | Water | +2 ingredient gathered | | Fire | Stack on another die; covered die loses control | | Wind | Return your Forage die to pool; extra turn later |

Forest Control:

• More Forage dice than each opponent individually
• More Forage dice than total Element dice in Forest
• Ties = no control

Forests per Round: 2P=3, 3P=4, 4P=5