Beer Empire brings homebrewing to the tabletop

If you’ve ever attempted to brew your own tipple in the comfort of your home (and perhaps or perhaps not ended up with a barrel of yeasty goop), Beer Empire might be the next set collection game for you.

Published by Multiuniversum - Project: Cthulhu and Exoplanet outlet Board & Dice, Beer Empire sees up to four players butt heads as owners of competing breweries aiming to produce the best ale around.

Players collect ingredients to create their drink, spanning a variety of beloved brews from stout and pilsner to India pale ale and bock. This also means adjusting to changing market trends as the game winds on, aiming to impress the beer reviewer during the Beerfest festival and collect the awards.

Each round sees players first task their workers with producing the beer, moving around resources to ensure the correct ingredients are available, as well as items such as bottle caps. Then they brew the beer and ensure its characteristics – such as aroma, colour and taste – are up to scratch with the recipe. The Beerfest rolls into town every second round, with players able to submit their drink for tasting and earn points. Players compete for share of the market by bidding in secret for control.

After six rounds, the game comes to an end and points are added up for final scores. A match takes around an hour or two.

Board & Dice is looking for $15,000 to fund Beer Empire on Kickstarter, and has just over $10,000 at the time of writing with over two weeks left to run.

The game’s standard set can be picked up for $30, with release planned for April 2017.