- BGG rating
- 7.8
Manatee Sanctuary: The Green Manatee Mini Expansion
- 1–6 players
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,009
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Manatee Sanctuary
2025
Rules assistance for Manatee Sanctuary
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 30 min
- 11+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Manatee Sanctuary
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Manatee Sanctuary is a board game released in 2025 for 1–6 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 11 and up. It was designed by Grayden Baker and its main mechanics are Hand Management, End Game Bonuses, and Pattern Building.
Expansions
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,163
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Potions of Azerland
- 1–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #150
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Forest Shuffle
- 2–5 players
- 40–60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #920
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Forest Shuffle: Dartmoor
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,775
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #215
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Earth
- 1–5 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,059
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Reforest
- 1–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,516
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Reforest: Old Growth
- 1–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #409
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Flamecraft
- 1–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,481
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Café Baras
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,586
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Echoes of Time
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #449
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Takenoko
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #904
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Codex Naturalis
- 1–4 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2021
About the game
Hungry Manatees, Playful Manatees, Common Manatees, attract them all to your ever growing habitat to create the best Manatee Sanctuary and win the game! Manatee Sanctuary is a family weight game in which players will draft cards using an "I split you choose" method over the course of 3 rounds. Once the draft is complete players will decide whether to use their cards for their top action, thereby attracting manatees and producing food, or grow their sanctuary by tucking the top portion of the card under their ever expanding board creating more room for manatees and increasing their food production. There are many different types of manatees in the sea each with their own effects and after each player has finished using their cards everyone must feed all their hungry manatees! Once all manatees have been fed players will score points based on the number of manatees they have, their type, and the round they are in. At the end of 3 rounds whoever has the most points wins! Manatee Sanctuary comes with multiple modules and play option for family's and hobby board gamers alike! —description from the publisher
Designers
Publishers
- Warped Reality Games
Questions and answers
Manatee Sanctuary supports 1–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Manatee Sanctuary is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Manatee Sanctuary for ages 11 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Manatee Sanctuary has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Manatee Sanctuary belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Territory Building. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, End Game Bonuses, and Pattern Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Manatee Sanctuary are: Grayden Baker. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Manatee Sanctuary as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.