- BGG rating
- 7.4
The Manhattan Project: Nations Expansion
- 2–5 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #591
- BGG rating
- 7.3
The Manhattan Project
2012
Rules assistance for The Manhattan Project
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 120 min
- 13+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Manhattan Project
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Manhattan Project is a board game released in 2012 for 2–5 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Brandon Tibbetts and its main mechanics are Take That, Race, and Open Drafting.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.4
The Manhattan Project: Second Stage
- 2–5 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2013
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The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire
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About the game
From the back of the box: Global Power Struggle Begins Which nation will take the lead and become world's dominant superpower? The Manhattan Project makes you the leader of a great nation's atomic weapons program in a deadly race to build bigger and better bombs. You must assign your workers to multiple projects: building your bomb-making infrastructure, expending your military to protect it, or sending your spies to steal your rival's hard work! You alone control your nation's destiny. You choose when to send out your workers–and when to call them back. Careful management and superior strategy will determine the winner of this struggle. So take charge and secure your nation's future! Additional description: The Manhattan Project is a low-luck, mostly open information efficiency game in which players compete to build and operate the most effective atomic bomb program. Players do not "nuke" each other, but conventional air strikes are allowed against facilities. The game features worker placement with a twist: there are no rounds and no end-of-round administration. Players retrieve their workers when they choose to or are forced to (by running out). An espionage action allows a player to activate and block an opponent's building, representing technology theft and sabotage.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- asmodee
- Magellan
- Doit Games
- Czacha Games
- Pensamento Coletivo
- Minion Games
- Marabunta
- kártyagyár
Questions and answers
The Manhattan Project supports 2–5 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 The Manhattan Project is 120 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 The Manhattan Project for ages 13 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.
The Manhattan Project has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
The Manhattan Project belongs to these categories: Economic, World War II, and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Take That, Race, and Open Drafting. 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 The Manhattan Project are: Brandon Tibbetts. 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 The Manhattan Project 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.