Brook City (2019) Board Game

Brook City is a cooperative board game released in 2019, designed by Henning Ludvigsen and published by Blacklist Games. The game is set in a gritty, crime-ridden city where players take on the roles of police officers trying to solve a series of murder mysteries while dealing with various criminal elements.

Game Components of Brook City

Game Board: A sprawling city map.

Miniatures: Highly detailed police officer and criminal figures, as well as vehicle miniatures.

Custom Dice: Used for resolving various actions and encounters.

Modular Decks: Unique decks for each police officer and criminal, allowing for customized gameplay.

Case Cards: Three different cases in the base game.

Influence Coins: Used by the syndicate to gain influence.

Vehicle Tokens: Representing different vehicles like cruisers, scooters, and even a Lamborghini.

Expansion Packs: Adding new cops, criminals, cases, and modular rules.

How To Setup Brook City

Setup involves placing the game board, distributing the police officer decks, and setting up the criminal’s deck and crew members. Players choose their police officers and the case they want to solve. The game includes quick setup instructions, making it easy to get started.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Cooperative Play: Players work together as police officers.

Modular Deck System (MDS): Introduced by Adam and Brady Sadler, allowing for customizable and unique scenarios.

Dice Rolling: Used to resolve actions, with no bad rolls but rather hunches that can be converted into successes.

Movement Optimization: Players must efficiently move around the city, using vehicles and on-foot movement.

Case Solving: Gathering clues to solve one of the three available cases.

Influence Management: Preventing the syndicate from gaining too much influence through crimes.

Stress Management: Managing stress to avoid being fired and losing the game.

Player Experience

Playing **Brook City** feels like being in an action movie, with players racing across the city, commanding vehicles, and solving crimes. The game is highly customizable with its modular deck system, allowing players to mix and match components to create unique scenarios. The addition of expansions introduces new challenges and complexity, such as managing wrecked cars or dealing with illegal shipments.

Pros

High Customization: Modular deck system allows for unique scenarios.

Immersive Theme: Inspired by classic action movies.

Cooperative: Encourages teamwork among players.

Expansions: Adds new content and challenges.

Quick Setup: Easy to get started with the game.

Cons

Complexity: May be overwhelming for new players due to the variety of components and rules.

Time Commitment: Requires a significant amount of time to play and manage the game.

Space Requirement: The game board and components take up a lot of space.

Personal Thoughts on Brook City

**Brook City** is perfect for fans of cooperative games and those who enjoy a blend of strategy and action. It’s ideal for players who appreciate customizable gameplay and are looking for a game that can be played at different complexity levels. However, it may not be the best fit for those seeking a quick, simple game experience due to its complexity and the time required to play.

We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more.