How to Play

The Manhattan Project

2-5 players 120-120 min 7.3 Board Game Geek Rating

Players lead atomic weapons programs in a race to build the most effective bomb-making operation. This worker placement game eliminates traditional rounds—retrieve workers when you choose or when forced. Assign workers to construct facilities, expand military protection, or conduct espionage against rivals. Victory goes to whoever creates the most efficient nuclear program through strategic resource management.

Published 2012

The Manhattan Project

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Place the main board
Put the Main Board in the center of the table where all players can reach it
2
Set up fuel tracks
Place one token of each player's color on the bottom space of the Plutonium Track, Enriched Uranium Track, and Espionage Track
3
Create general supply
Gather near the board: 50 Building cards, 30 Bomb cards, 10 Loaded Bomb markers, 16 Damage markers, 48 coins, 40 Yellowcake cubes, 12 grey Contractors, and 4 Engineers and 4 Scientists of each player's color
4
Select implosion test counters
Use only counters matching player count: 2 players use "0" and "6"; 3 players use "0", "4", and "8"; 4 players use "0", "2", "4", and "6"; 5 players use all five counters
5
Prepare building market
Shuffle the six Starting Building cards (red backs) and place one face up in each of the first 6 spaces starting with $2, then place one regular Building card face up on the $20 space
6
Prepare bomb cards
Shuffle all 30 Bomb cards, draw one more card than the number of players, and place them face up in a row
7
Distribute player boards
Each player chooses a color and takes the matching Player Board, placing it visible to all players
8
Collect starting resources
Each player takes 4 Laborers in their color, $10 in coins, 1 Fighter counter on the "1" space, and 1 Bomber counter on the "1" space of their Player Board
9
Apply starting bonuses
Player 1 receives nothing; Player 2 receives $2; Player 3 receives $4; Player 4 receives $2 and 1 Scientist or Engineer; Player 5 receives $4 and 1 Scientist or Engineer

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Choose one action type
You must either Place Workers OR Retrieve Workers on your turn, never both
2
Place workers on main board
You may place one Worker on one unoccupied Worker Space (exception: Construction space allows multiple Workers)
3
Place workers on buildings
After the main board placement, you may place Workers on any number of your own undamaged Buildings, placing exactly the number of Workers shown on each Building
4
Match worker requirements
Place only the Worker type shown in spaces requiring Scientists or Engineers; question marks allow any Worker type
5
Use contractors equally
Grey Contractors function identically to permanent Workers and can be combined with them
6
Construct buildings
Place any Worker in the Construction space, pay the cost shown above the desired Building card, take the card, slide remaining cards left, and draw a new card for the $20 space
7
Mine yellowcake
Place Workers on Mine spaces to receive Yellowcake; some spaces require payment or specific Worker types; the middle space gives 1 Yellowcake to all other players
8
Earn money at factories
Place Workers on Factory spaces to receive money; remember to add $1 to the Bribe Pile for each Factory space used
9
Produce aircraft
Place Workers on Aircraft Factory spaces to produce Fighters or Bombers, tracked on your Player Board up to maximum of 10 each
10
Train workers at universities
Place Workers on University spaces to receive new Workers from the General Supply, choosing permanent or Contractors
11
Produce enriched uranium
Place a Scientist on the Enrichment Plant space, pay 2 Yellowcake and $3 to raise your Enriched Uranium Track one space (maximum 8)
12
Produce plutonium
Place a Scientist on the Reactor space and pay 2 Yellowcake to raise your Plutonium Track one space (maximum 8)
13
Launch air strikes
Place a Worker on an Air Strike space to launch attacks equal to your aircraft count
14
Repair buildings
Place a Worker on the Repair space, pay $5, and remove up to 3 damage points; other players may then repair up to 3 damage points at increasing costs ($2, $3, $5)
15
Design bombs
Place one Engineer AND one Scientist on the Design Bombs space; take all face-up Bomb cards, choose one, pass remaining cards left; each player chooses one and passes until last card returns to you; replenish face-up cards
16
Conduct espionage
Place a Worker on the Espionage space and pay $3 to move up one space on the Spy Track; on this turn only, place Workers on opponents' Buildings equal to your spy count
17
Build bombs as bomb actions
Play a Bomb card from hand, place required Workers on it, and reduce your Bomb Fuel track by the amount shown to score the card's Victory Points
18
Test plutonium bombs
Use one built Plutonium Bomb to take the highest available Implosion Test counter; return the Bomb card to bottom of deck but keep Workers on the counter; all Plutonium Bombs now score their higher value
19
Load bombs
Pay the Loading Cost shown on a built Bomb card and reduce your Bomber track by 1 to place a Loaded Bomb marker worth 5 Victory Points
20
Retrieve workers when chosen
Return all your permanent Workers from the Main Board and all Player Boards to your supply, return all Workers on your Buildings/Bombs/Implosion counters to appropriate supplies, and return all Contractors from Main Board and your supply to General Supply

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Reach the victory point goal
The first player to reach the target wins immediately and becomes the world's dominant superpower
2
Scale victory points by player count
2 players need 70 points; 3 players need 60 points; 4 players need 50 points; 5 players need 45 points
3
Score through bomb actions only
Victory points come exclusively from building bombs (card values), testing bombs (Implosion Test counter values), and loading bombs (5 points each)
4
Calculate plutonium bomb values
Plutonium Bombs score their lower value until you complete an Implosion Test, after which all your Plutonium Bombs score their higher value

watch & Learn

Let the pros teach you with these top videos.

Jeux Conseils # 50 - The Manhattan Project - Règles importantes, conseils, variante et configuration

Jeux Conseils # 50 - The Manhattan Project - Règles importantes, conseils, variante et configuration

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Setup, How To Play, Sample Turn of The Manhattan Project

Setup, How To Play, Sample Turn of The Manhattan Project

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