
- BGG rating
- 6.6
The Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight – Kickstarter Mini-expansion
- 2–5 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2017

2018
Rules assistance for The Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight is a board game released in 2018 for 2–5 players, 90–150 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Brandon Tibbetts and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Income.
20 years after the end of The Manhattan Project, the superpowers of the world are embroiled in another vicious arms race. Manufacturing nukes is no longer an obstacle; all nations are now capable of churning them out at a rapid pace. The challenge of this era lies in the development of various delivery systems called the "Nuclear Triad:" strategic bombers, ballistic subs, and land-based ballistic missiles. Each player represents one of the superpowers in the arms race. At staged intervals, scoring is conducted in one of 4 categories: - Strategic Bombers - Ballistic Submarines - ICBMs - Short-range missiles deployed to third world nations In addition to earning points for deploying nukes during the scoring rounds, players can also earn defensive bonuses for mitigating the risks imposed against them. The game ends after all of the scoring events have been completed. The player with the most points is the winner. To help along the way, you will recruit 4 different kinds of workers: - Laborers, which operate your buildings - Spies, which operate your opponents' buildings for your gain - Politicians, which produce tax revenue and gain control over third world nations - Generals, which deploy your bombers, subs, and overseas missiles You will also construct and operate 6 different kinds of buildings: - Factories, which produce submarines and aircraft - Research Facilities, which allow you to improve your position in 5 different technology tracks - Reactors, which produce nukes - Silos, which are armed with ICBMs - Test Sites, which allow you to detonate nukes in your own territory for points - ABM Launchers, which earn defensive bonuses against various threats Minutes to Midnight is a standalone game. It is part of The Manhattan Project line from Minion Games.
The Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight 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 2: Minutes to Midnight is 90–150 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 2: Minutes to Midnight 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 2: Minutes to Midnight has a complexity rating of 3.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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 2: Minutes to Midnight belongs to these categories: Economic, Industry / Manufacturing, and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Income. 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 2: Minutes to Midnight 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 2: Minutes to Midnight 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.