- BGG rank
- BGG #3,421
- BGG rating
- 7.2
The Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight
- 2–5 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2018
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Rules assistance for The Manhattan Project: Second Stage
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 2.9/5
Rules assistant for The Manhattan Project: Second Stage
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Manhattan Project: Second Stage is an expansion for The Manhattan Project released in 2013 for 2–5 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Brandon Tibbetts and Eric Jome and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Take That, and Open Drafting.
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About the game
The Manhattan Project: Second Stage consists of four small expansions that can be added to the base game individually or together. Nations 2 works like the previous Nations expansion, with each player getting one card to represent a country and gain a special power. Seven new countries and powers are represented. Rocket Technology allows you to build a rocket factory when taking the "Design Bomb" action. Rockets work exactly like bombers - but fighters provide no defense against them. H-Bomb Technology upgrades the "Design Bomb" action, allowing a player to return an available bomb to the bottom of the deck in order to acquire an H-Bomb card. To build an H-Bomb, however, the player needs Lithium Deuteride, which comes from new cards that work similar to Mines. Personalities adds seven roles to the game based on real individuals who contributed to the Manhattan Project. Each time you retrieve your workers you will select a different role. Each role will grant you persistent benefits until the next time you retrieve.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Minion Games
Questions and answers
The Manhattan Project: Second Stage 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: Second Stage 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: Second Stage 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: Second Stage has a complexity rating of 2.9 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: Second Stage belongs to these categories: Economic, Negotiation, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Take That, 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: Second Stage are: Brandon Tibbetts and Eric Jome. 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: Second Stage as an expansion for The Manhattan Project. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need The Manhattan Project to use it. Check that your edition of The Manhattan Project is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.