Nucleum - Board Game Review - Alternate Brass

Nucleum - Board Game Review - Alternate Brass
Nucleum is a heavy euro board game in which players take role of industrialists trying to succeed during the economic and technological boom of 19th-century Saxony, fueled by the invention and spread of the Nucleum (a nuclear reactor).
Players earn victory points by developing their networks, building and powering urban buildings, securing contracts, and meeting milestones (randomized endgame goals). Each player also gets unique asymmetric technologies, giving them special powers when unlocked. Gameplay is continuous; players take turns one after another with no rounds or phases.
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Who Am I?
One single batchelor from the UK talking about his passion for board games and the people who play them! I support small content creators, board game cafes and go against the status quo when it comes to the board game industry. I give my honest opinions without bias towards any publishers or designers and will not hold back if I don't like a game.
The Broken Meeple is a variety channel that hosts all kinds of board game content from reviews to Top 10 lists to playthroughs to live stream collaborations with special guests (predominantly small channels who deserve more exposure).
I look forward to engaging with you, the community on my live streams or in the comments on my videos!
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Opening
00:38 - Introduction (Let's Make A Few Things Clear!)
02:40 - Basic Overview & Game Comparisons
08:06 - The Good Stuff
16:03 - The Bad Things
25:31 - Summary, Verdict & Player Scaling
28:39 - Please Share and Support The Show
#brokenmeeple #nucleum #boardanddice #boardgames #boardgame #lukehector #supportsmallcreators #tabletop #tabletopgames #bgg #boardgamer #boardgamereview
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Full credit to BoardGameGeek and its members for any images used that aren't my own or part of the publisher press kit.

[@jankogo]

Love your editing. Was seriously thinking of "getting out of the elevator". 😂

[@SigiScsi]

Thanks for pointing out there are green & orange districts, I didn't even notice...

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah colour blindness is a problem here.

[@thereelaristotle]

Luke you're just stopping me from buying games consistently. A true sign that you're doing a top notch job. Thanks! Probably for the best, more time for Ark Nova.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Heehee yes, more Ark Nova!

[@c0smiq]

Not until you tried it for yourself. Buy more games.. .buy moooooore!

[@daveculling5467]

He’s wrong on this one! It’s a belter!

[@bayushisezaru]

I love both Brass and Barrage, so this was high in my hype list going to Essen. I had a demo and then bought a copy immediately. Already played three times (with 3 and 4 players), and it definitely lived up to the hype. It’s long and meaty, but the last (three players) game lasted only two hours: once everyone knows what he’s doing, it becomes surprisingly smooth and almost quick coming to the end. By the way, I got almost at the top of the achievement track in the last game. I think your criticisms are fair, anyway. But this is the type of game my group and me really like, so for me they’re not a big deal. Is it better than it’s “parents” Brass & Barrage for us? It’s too early to say, but I’d say NO. Probably for one of the reasons you liked it better: it’s more forgiving! We like tighter and mean games! 😂 Keep up the great content! I love your unbiased reviews, and your dissenting opinions!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha good read thanks!

[@joaoantunes6858]

We would be good friends. Agree with everything you said!

[@shunsokaro3210]

What about 2 players ? Do you have a preference between these 3 Games ( Brass, Barrage and Nucleum) ? Thanks by advance 😊

[@joaoantunes6858]

@@shunsokaro3210 None. But if I had to pick one. Maybe Brass

[@Endeva09]

@@shunsokaro3210Brass Birmingham plays great at 2, but is better with 3, Lancashire better at 2. Barrage works best at 4. Nucleum best at 4.

[@monomundo]

Thank you Luke. I played Nucleum a week ago and even though I liked it, I decided not to add it to my (bloated) collection. Mostly for the reasons you have stated, and incidentally for my stronger preference for the tightness and meanness of Brass.

[@shatnershairpiece]

I put this in my order to be shipped after Kutna hora comes in. I grabbed it before it sold out (gone within half hour of stock coming in) but still not sure about it. Now I am. The long set up, table hog, not good at 2, limited replay ability will probably get me to cancel this order. Thanks for saving me money. I liked brass but my wife didn’t so I sold it. She likely is not going to care for nucleum either. I also got LEAF on this order, with expansion. We also picked up a barely used lands of galzyr for $40 US which was a deal and we are enjoying it.

[@renato123wenzel]

Have bought the game - disagree with almost everything no 2P problem, setup just flip some cards and put some tiles, replayability is not “power” then Brass. Brass is a classic but after years I have no more interest in playing.Also this you can explain in 15 minutes (the complexity come from options).

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Fifteen minutes, good luck with that. 😂

[@joannabarry5236]

I found you on facebook and not gunna lie, some of your posts annoy me. But i wanted to hear about this game and saw your video, and i really liked it. I like that even though you are clearly sponsored you give honest reviews. Glad i gave you another chance 😂

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Can't tell the truth without annoying some people 🤣

[@CarlosRodriguez-ez3ls]

Barrage jabs aside, great review Luke! And I see Pret-A-Porter has left your shelf. Good choice. Thx!

[@jsbach1750]

Womp womp... I got it based on the implicit recommendation I perceived as it being part of the background. I opened it up and was befuddled by the extra Kickstarter components so I promptly packed it up in favor of playing Wingspan. I couldn't set it up and teach it on the fly 😡

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

It's on the cull pile but hasn't left yet.

[@krisztofertar5570]

Thanks for the detailed review! I think, i will buy Brass instead of Nucleum. Do you plan to make review of Earthborne rangers?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yes it's on the agenda, just so many games.

[@grepbeer]

honestly i would buy bothj. brass is great but for me nucleum has replaced it. it has a string barrage influence and is more forgiving in network developement than brass which to me is an improvement

[@Agent_Pendergast]

Curious about the house rule that was mentioned in regards to doubling the contracts available since this is one of the game end triggers. It seems by doing this it will always guarantee that this will be one of the triggers and thus negatively alter the game length design.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

That's a fair point, perhaps it could be argued that you include two extra contracts in each stack in setup if they are available? If not, then perhaps change it to "quantity remaining" rather than "stacks depleted" - there's definitely an easy workaround.

[@a-c-m]

Would be good to understand why exactly you hate Brass & Barrage that much. I was trying to find an old review from you about those games but couldn’t find one. Can you point me in the right direction / post a link ? Would be good to understand it in more detail rather than just high level jibes.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

You're not the only one who's asked. I did do a Brass review a while back which you should be able to find. I gave it a 6/10 but that was mean being 100% objective to the game rather than my dislike for it. Maybe I'll do a quick segment on the podcast to emphasise my issues.

[@a-c-m]

That would be awesome if you can do a refresher on that. On Brass: I can see the issue with the dependency on the right location/industry cards but that can easily be mitigated by a scout action. Nothing compared to luck of the draw at Ark Nova, a game which you adore. On Barrage: yes, it can be a mean game when someone builds a dam just in front of you when you just spent many rounds building a dam, conductor and power plant which then all become useless. But you can plan around that and there is very little luck in the game. I can see that many don’t like the meanness in the game but that is a subjective aspect. Objectively, the game has an excellent game design, many innovative mechanics and the implementation of the theme is one of the strongest of all Euros. Hence I struggle how someone can objectively rate those games lower than a 7/10, even if you see those points as big issues.

[@Farbulous007]

I'm one of those people that thinks barrage is one of the best board games of all time. Yes, there are some aspects of take that, but I would describe the game more in terms of tightness then I would in terms of meanness. Although I initially didn't see the similarities, I think the fact that players are rushing for certain spots on the board in order to complete their networks and energize buildings is where the comparison lies. Barrage is very much about strategic placement on the map, and Nucleum has exactly the same dynamic

[@bonescollector5367]

Thank you for the detailed review Luke. We just don't want to work that hard to play a board game , but we don't like Brass or Barrage. We do love Via Nebula though!❤😂

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Doubt this will appeal to you then 😉

[@vrapan]

@@TheBrokenMeeple do you have a review of Brass, just wanted to get your reasons of dislking it, and does your opinion of Brass apply to both Birmingham and Lancashire ( I slightly prefer the latter to the former but I own both and love them both)

[@reed4764]

Brass is my #1 game of all time so definitely would disagree with a lot of the arguments you made against it but it certainly is refreshing to see a reviewer give straight up negative opinions about a game without feeling the need to mitigate their disappointments.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Mitigation isn't useful consumer advice, 😁

[@chuckm1961]

I am subscribed to about 30 board game review channels, and they all (at times) give straight up negative opinions without mitigating their disappointments,

[@zero-il9on]

I love Barrage and I hate Brass (way overrated). Thanks for the review, I bought this one and still waiting to get it, you´re making have second thoughts LOL... Once I get it, I can compare your information with my experience, awesome video, as always!

[@garylangford6755]

@zero-il9on love barrage hate brass too! did you end up liking this game?

[@tomogorman3947]

My main takeaway. It’s hard to say Railway without sounding like Jonathan Ross

[@mikaelhansson9613]

Your first description, that you are using different kinds of power sources and provide power to different regions that you must connect, doesn't make me think of Brass or Barrage at all. It sounded like you were describing Power Grid!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Also not a game I want to be reminded of 😅

[@johnpanagos5835]

I am colorblind, easy pass. Thank you Luke

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

You're welcome!

[@knalnl6340]

Yes im trying to learn the rules but i havent finnished setup yet after 3 try's

[@coogs1567]

Would anyone say this is better than Autobahn? Cause I see some similarities and not sure this would be close enough to compare and replace that game. I think @theBrokenMeeple gave it good reviews too so I'm considering between the two.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Nucleum is less fiddly to play overall.

[@coogs1567]

@@TheBrokenMeeple less fiddly is definitely a bonus. Thanks.

[@TheMiguel42]

Was the use of ‘Wailway’ a joke from a previous video that I missed?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

No that's just my speech impediment issues :P

[@TheMiguel42]

@@TheBrokenMeeple oh sorry man. You got it right a couple of times and the rest of your R’s seemed fine so I wrongly assumed it was not an impediment.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

@@TheMiguel42 it's complicated. I had a speech problem when I was younger, I conquered it thanks to great primary teachers allowing me to succeed well enough academically but some of my pronunciations do slip through by force of habit.

[@kruzhalovv]

Ha-ha. That's what I thought. Quite the opposite for me. I'm a fan of Brass (Lancashire) and I do somewhat enjoy Barrage. This one is a miss for me, the parts taken from 2 predecessors are not the ones that did those games great. In the end, for me, it is a pile of mechanisms thrown together for the sole purpose of having a broad tactical field. I even could describe it as a game for players who don't enjoy B&B and want a more tactical and solitary (or better"not really depending on others") experience with the familiar set of mechanisms and traits.

[@yrusomad6]

that was my impression from watching other reviews, so an easy avoid as David is anyway.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Weirdly the stuff taken from those two is what makes this game a bit better for me! :P It leaves behind the stuff I hate about those two games for the most part!

[@frankndice]

Barrage is one of my most hated as well. I tried to like it but every time we played it I needed a Tylenol after. Everyone else enjoyed I thought it could go kick rocks. This looks like barrages cousin

[@victorybhg]

why are games getting bigger and bigger on the table, what do the developers think we have massive 5k gaming tables. Seems like they are restricting who can play their games. Also why are they pumping out games without adequate development and fixing the issues in expansions, developers bake your games a bit more and make them smaller so more people can enjoy them

[@gforud]

I hate Barage, love Brass tho. But I like this one, not the best, but enjoyed a lot.

[@harleygrattan2851]

Hey Luke, I hear you drive a fancy car like mine with the same colour, Paul G told me

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I wouldn't say fancy, suzuki swift sport, but it's an awesome champion yellow colour 😁

[@harleygrattan2851]

Exactly what have, cheers 🍻

[@Puzzu]

Nice review! Seems like a good game to try but doesn’t look like a must buy to me and I don’t like Brass at all. I actually would rather stick with my copy of Barrage which I don’t even get to play very often 😢 I also still need to get Tiletum out of shrink 😅

[@grepbeer]

I just went back and watched your lacerta solo video which was awesome. but i do find it inconsistent that you comment about the cards in lacerta game being one of your favorite mechanics and here you are put off by the contracts which essentially are cards to me. Also, I think if you play it more you will realize that there are many more ways to get stars that meet the eye (even one of the technologies is geared toward it). Also, again having freshly watched the Lacerta solo video, you are very positive on most of the games (as am I) but complained about table space here. Nucleum as it appears to me, seems pretty close to the table space I use with my Lacerta games. And the interaction with other players, while not as contested as barrage or Lacerta games, is pretty much like brass as you fight for consumable coal , networks and real estate. Granted I am a huge brass and barrage fan and that's why I am so fond of this game and defend it. I do think and hope you play it more to maybe familiarize yourself more with it as it does have a lot of niches that get overlooked.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

It's not just "cards" it's how the cards function. I don't think any Lacerda game features "contracts" like Nucleum does. And no, I ain't getting paid to play Barrage or Brass again.

[@grepbeer]

ahh yeah the contracts. they are different for sure. some seem a bit unbalanced for sure. Loved your stonemaier reference too btw lol

[@-DoubleLayer-]

Hi! We Made a gameplay of it, the game is ok but in 2 player is so long and to much large!

[@guddefulgaming]

While i initially wasnt really on board with this game, but after a few games played i warmed up to it and i couldnt disagree more with most things you said. But if you dont like brass, its no surprise this isnt up your alley either. Brass is definetly the cleaner, more streamlined game and has still a very different feel. I liked Nucleum for its complexity, its varying strategies and the asymmetry. Yes it might look minor, but you soon will realize that they are indeed super impactful, interesting and strategy defining. Tldr; dont agree with most negatives here, but thats opinions ^^ If you are on the fence, try it on TTS and decide for yourself.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

You say "not up my alley" but I still gave it a 7! :P Also which specific negatives? I would say you have to at least agree that as much as you say "varying strategies" , it's a pretty one note affair of "do what the milestones says" or lose.

[@michaelmueller260]

As one who also thinks Brass and Barrage are straight up awful and should be burned in the cleansing flames of justice, you've actually convinced me to give this one a look. Cheers!

[@joaoantunes6858]

I bet you like Ark Nova and Wingspan 😂

[@michaelmueller260]

@@joaoantunes6858 I do like Ark Nova. Wingspan is just okay

[@zorbageekman2761]

I am getting so sick of these heavy euro games just adding randomness to the game. It really bugs me, that this seems to be something that can often be fixed by some minor changes. I hate this flip a tile or card and "oh it perfectly falls into what I was doing so I get a huge boost"

[@TheSludgeMan]

Agree about the graphic design. Looks ugly as hell and isn't colour blind inclusive. Hard pass. Board & Dice are consistently failing colour blind players and just don't seem to care. The dice colours in Tiletum are a nightmare.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah B&D is not the best at aesthetics it has to be said. But then when you're working with beige "seen it all before" themed Euro's you can only do so much.

[@GreySectoid]

People with no hands can't throw dice, very bad not inclusive not buy :(((

[@stacie_everdell]

Sorry, I can't get past the aesthetics, in both the board and the cover.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

It's not a looker.

[@zlobniyrustam]

😂

[@torelaursen4139]

Nucleum is another game in the mediocre field of recent modern euros. I think that the contracts, technologies and endgame multipliers are weak and the game would be better without it. It is also disapointing that the ressources is not shared and that you can not flip multiple buildings in one action. In short, it is not Brass and it doesn't really live in the same ballpark as Brass, which is board game royalty. It is also not as good as Barrage. My prediction is that Nucleum will come and go, and not really leave a mark. By this time next year nobody is talking about it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I think it will still have its fans. Though I would rather play the odd game of Nucleum then touch Brass (overated royalty :P) or Barrage ever again.

[@torelaursen4139]

If I am not mistaken you are also more into the more modern euro type of games, where it is mostly heads down multiplayer solitaire puzzling. Nucleum is definetly a modern mps euro with it's bonuses and combos all around (bells and whistles). Compared to the OG euro, distilled down nature of Brass. I could see an ok game in there, but I would have to take away a whole lot for it to work. Throw away the "technologies", the contracts and the end game scoring milestones. Make the ressources shared and focus the game around the action tiles which is the games biggest strength. And remove the limit of only energizing one building in a turn.

[@mattschwenk7000]

You don't like a heavy Euro? What a shocker. This game is brilliantly designed and balanced.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Errr did you watch the video (or any others) and look behind my head? Lacerdas and Hegemony in shot, Mindclash games downstairs and more heavy games besides that I've talked about and rated highly. Also the game got a 7 out of 10 and an endorsement from me. If you're just trolling, I'd do it better 😏