Project Manhattan board game. Board game project manhattan. Video for the board game The Manhattan Project

Manhattan Project is a European-style strategy board game created in 2012 by Brandon Tibbets (Minion Games). Dedicated to the history of the creation of a nuclear bomb (see the Manhattan project on the historical project). This game can be played by 2 to 5 people. Players, conditionally playing for different countries, create nuclear bombs to maintain the nuclear balance in the world. Their task is to competently manage resources of various types in order to score the required number of victory points before rivals by building and loading a certain number of nuclear bombs on bombers. The player with the most nuclear capability by the end of the game wins.

The publication of the game was partially funded through the crowdsourcing platform Kickstarter. Before launching the Kickstarter fundraiser, the author intensively worked on the balance for 4 months using the virtual platform for creating board games ZunTzu. After creating a prototype of the game, it took a year and a half for testing and running, and only after that there was Kickstarter, 3 editions of the English version, as well as the edition of this game in Russian, Hungarian, French and German. The illustrations for this board game were made by Spanish artist Sergi Marcet Rovira, who also previously designed board games. dungeon games Run, Target Earth and Stalag 17.

In August 2014, digital versions of the Manhattan Project board game appeared for Android and iOS. The electronic versions of this game have a single player mode against artificial intelligence, as well as multi-user mode (for one device or over the Network). The cost of playing The Manhattan Project is about $7.

Game mechanics

The main resource in the game is workers of 3 types: laborers, engineers and scientists. In addition, workers are divided into permanent (4 laborers, scientists and engineers for each player, the color corresponds to the color of the selected board) and contractors (4 scientists, 4 engineers and 4 gray laborers).

The whole game for each of the players is based on the placement of workers and their return to their warehouse (and contractors to a common warehouse). During his turn, the player either places workers on the playing field and on his player board, or he takes all his workers to his warehouse at once (with contractors with playing field, this player's board, as well as contractors with mixed combinations Workers used by the player to spy on other players' boards are returned to the general warehouse).

The initial placement of workers on the playing field is made at the request of the players, while any of the free cells on the field are occupied (an arbitrary number of workers are placed in the “Construction” cell), then in free buildings on the player’s board. A player can occupy only one (free) cell on the game board per turn, and only after that can they occupy free buildings on the player board, without exceeding the available number of workers.

When placing a worker on the playing field, one of the cells free of other workers is selected, some cells indicate the requirements necessary for their activation (a certain type of worker, the presence of a yellow cake or money).

One of the following options is available for each cell:

When working with a tablet, on each building card, the appropriate type of worker is indicated at the top (question mark - any type of worker is suitable) and the number of workers that is needed to activate the building and receive a one-time "income" from the building, which is indicated at the bottom of the card. Reactors and enrichment plants, in addition to accommodating one or more scientists to withdraw "income" in the form of uranium or plutonium, also require the cost of yellow cake or uranium (for reactors) or the cost of money and yellow cake (for enrichment plants).

The resource, with the introduction of workers into the building, is obtained instantly and one-time. To re-remove "income" from the same building, the player will then need to withdraw the workers (a turn is lost) and once again place them in this building.

For some buildings, two alternative types of resources are indicated that are required to use the building (more specifically, 4 plutonium reactors, where 2 types of alternative fuel are available - yellowcake and uranium, the options are separated by a slash). Also in the game there are 3 universities and 4 factories, from which you can already get 2 options for “income” at the exit.

Resources in the game

In the Manhattan Project board game, some of the resources are not limited to the game bundle. When tokens of such resources run out in the general warehouse, other items can be added there, for example, tokens from another game or matches, and they will play the role of the same resource. Infinite resources include yellowcake cubes, coins, damage markers, and bomb loading markers.

The number of buildings in the game is limited, there are 50 in total (10 factories, 10 universities, 10 mines, 10 reactors and 10 processing plants), it is also worth noting that 6 of these buildings (which are distinguished by the red color of the shirt) are laid out in the construction queue first.

The number of blueprints for bombs is also limited - 15 uranium and 15 plutonium. 5 plutonium bomb test tokens is exactly the maximum number of players (in case each player develops into plutonium bombs or two types of bombs).

Espionage is limited to a maximum level of 6, free units of nuclear fuel (uranium or plutonium) players cannot have more than 8, and military airfields can simultaneously accommodate no more than 10 aircraft of each type.

One of the game's most important resources is people. A player can have no more than 12 workers (4 of each type). Total quantity there are also 12 contractors, but there is a constant struggle between the players for them (it is rare when all contractors are in the hands of one person).

Human resources:

• laborers can extract resources from most of the cells of the playing field, as well as from a large number of constructed buildings on the tablets (by the way, the number of constructed buildings is not limited to the cells of the player’s tablet). What laborers cannot do is mine uranium and plutonium and use advanced universities, factories and mines.
• Scientists- they can do everything the same as laborers, plus, they participate in the extraction of uranium and plutonium (at reactors and tablet enrichment plants, as well as on the playing field), and also participate in the development and construction of bombs.
• Engineers are also able to solve the tasks of laborers, but in addition, they can also build any of the two cheapest buildings for free, get money and planes in advanced factories, extract more yellowcake in advanced mines, and also educate people in several advanced universities. Engineers, along with scientists, participate in the development and construction of bombs, however, they cannot mine uranium and plutonium.

Other resources in the game:

Building and loading bombs

There are 30 bomb blueprints available in the game - 15 plutonium, 15 uranium. Each bomb card displays the number of units of uranium or plutonium required to build the bomb (depending on the type of bomb), the cost of loading the bomb onto a bomber (in addition to money, you also need 1 bomber, loading gives +5 victory points), as well as the number of victory points (for plutonium bombs 2 digits, the first - points before the test, the second - after).

The number of points you need to score to win is determined by the number of players: 2 players - 70 points, 3 players - 60 points, 4 players - 50 points, 5 players - 45 points.

When building a bomb, the player's workers are placed on the blueprint of the bomb in the required number, then the player reduces the amount of his uranium or plutonium by the number indicated on the bomb. When that player subsequently withdraws workers, workers from the bomb are returned to the player's warehouse, in the same way as they return from normal buildings.

Plutonium bombs display two numbers of victory points on the bottom. Points are counted according to the second (greater) number of all plutonium bombs built by the player, if the player has previously tested the plutonium bomb by sacrificing it.

Any plutonium bomb that the player has previously built can be tested. If there were workers on the bomb, they move to the test explosion token in order to return to the player's warehouse during the next withdrawal of workers. The donated bomb goes down the bomb stack (face down).

Additional points can be earned by loading one or more bombs onto bombers (also during your turn). Loading one bomb requires money (the amount indicated on the bomb blueprint), as well as 1 bomber on your player board.

Add-on: "The Manhattan Project: Nations Expansion"

In March 2012, a small addition to the game was released, which was called "Nations Expansion". This add-on includes 7 maps corresponding to different countries (Great Britain, China, France, Germany, Japan, Soviet Union and USA maps are available in this add-on). Each player chooses a country for which he will play. Each of the cards in this expansion act similar to the buildings that players build on their tablet in the base game. However, these cards, unlike ordinary buildings, are active immediately after the start of the game and are immune to airstrike and espionage.
Each country map gives its own unique output resource when placing workers.

Addendum: "The Manhattan Project: Second Stage"

In 2012, a fundraiser was announced through the Kickstarter crowdsourcing platform for a comprehensive addition to the game. The fundraising ended successfully on September 1, 2012, and already in 2013, an add-on to the game was released - The Manhattan Project: Second Stage . The add-on includes 4 small expansions that can be added to the main game, either individually or in different combinations:

In Russian, at the beginning of 2017, this add-on was not yet localized.

After the invention of nuclear weapons, the world was on the brink of disaster. The superiority in the field of armaments of one of the countries automatically means the defeat of all the others. The only way out in this situation is the rapid arming of our own nuclear weapons and the destruction of the enemy's weapons and infrastructure. An arms race turns out to be the only way to save the world.

Your state and the states of opponents find themselves in the same conditions at the start of the nuclear arms race. And here you will need not only all your strength and means, but also your whole mind in order to correctly build a development and defense strategy, in order to correctly solve the tactical tasks of providing material and intellectual support for arms factories. The game will take all your attention and capture you from the very first move.

Who is this game for?

The game "Project Manhattan" (The Manhattan Project) It has average level complexity and is intended for children from 12 years old and for adults of any age. We can safely say that it will be interesting both for teenagers and for people who have already taken place, both for workers and for academicians. As for the number of players, it can be from 2 to 5 people.

Purpose of the game

The goal of the game, as in most similar games- score as many points as possible. In the Manhattan Project, they can only be obtained for the quantity and quality of nuclear bombs. Bombs are the main and only goal of the game. Everything else is just the entourage and the necessary accompanying elements. You need to keep this in mind when planning your strategy. At the same time, the better the bomb is designed and the more tests are carried out, the more points it will bring. But every action to improve the nuclear arsenal takes time and resources.

Rules of the game

You will have a playing field at your disposal, on which your buildings and workers will be located. On the general field there will be 9 sites where you can place your scientists and workers, as well as land your combat aircraft there. And you will definitely need to use mines for the extraction of uranium ore, universities to provide production with qualified engineers, reactors and uranium enrichment factories. You will need factories that bring money and workers. And you also need planes. What are airplanes for, you ask? They don't help build bombs. They will help you if your opponent starts to overtake you. In this case, it is enough to bomb him, destroying his factories. As a result, he will spend time and resources to restore his power.

Alliances are an important part of the game. As a rule, these are short-term alliances. For example, you want to stop a strong opponent. In this case, you can cooperate with other players and deal him a joint blow, from which he will not be able to recover even until the end of the game. Cooperate, but remember that in this game, as in life, everyone respects only their own interests and your yesterday's ally, without blinking an eye, will bomb your enterprises in 5 minutes.

The game develops well strategic thinking and ability, complex multifactorial tasks.

Released in 2012 board game Manhattan Project is a European style strategy game based on history initial stage nuclear race.

The number of players is 2-5 people.

Each player represents one country and tries to make his own nuclear bomb in order to maintain the nuclear parity of the parties involved throughout the game, from its very beginning to the victorious end.

The player is faced with the task of competent and most efficient distribution of available resources in order to score the required number of points necessary for victory before his rivals. That is, to load atomic bombs of destructive power onto their bombers. At the end, the winner is the player who, during the passage of the game, to its very end, collect more nuclear potential in the Manhattan Project board game.

Board game for 2-5 people "Project Manhattan". Helps develop budget planning skills

The game process takes approximately 2-4 hours depending on the number of players.

The game will be difficult for beginners, but you can learn it in just an hour, an hour and a half, it will not take much time.

These few happy hours will take you back more than half a century, to the height of the Cold War, when the right to possess nuclear weapons can decide whether a country dies or not.

As a talented strategist, you are entrusted with a task from the high command to get the recipe for the "weapon of retaliation" first by all means, while it is important to understand that the enemy is not asleep and is ready to strike at any moment, or send scouts to steal your military secrets.

Plot

Actions begin back in 1945, the recent discoveries of scientists simply shocked politicians, the world community has recognized the destructive power of weapons, which is achieved through the fission of atoms. And you are in charge of your country's nuclear project, and your task is to provide your homeland with a nuclear shield as soon as possible.

An exciting plot where you are the head of a nuclear project

The essence of the game

The bottom line is to earn as many extra points as possible, which come to the player through the development of bombs, as well as testing, and putting them into service with their army. The country that will be able to develop nuclear weapons the fastest will become a superpower on a planetary scale.

Basic moments

The game involves the management of workers and the allocation of resources to achieve the maximum level of economic efficiency. Here, as in any other game of this genre, you need to think ahead about the actions of your opponent, and have your own plan of action in advance.

Instruction

Sequencing

Resource management takes place in the game, for example, the mine gives us a yellow cake, and factories make uranium from the cake for payment, that is, the filling for a nuclear bomb. Factories give us the means to produce and the machinery. There are also universities in the game that provide us with qualified personnel for our development. In other words, engineers are the mental potential of your state.

The game has factories, universities, mines, factories

Priority

In this case, for complete victory direct production is not enough, a certain approach is needed here. There is a need for a competent and systematic development of the infrastructure of your camp, thereby ensuring its safety.

If you do not have interceptor aircraft, then it is likely that the enemy will strike with bombers on you. A powerful explosion of uranium isotope will deal a crushing blow to you. A particularly attractive target for the enemy in Project Manhattan will be your nuclear reactors.

Diplomacy

The game provides for some coordination of actions between the players by agreement. Diplomacy gives a lagging player a chance to catch up with his opponent, and with a tactful approach, even overtake him. For example, you can form a link of attack bombers, or fighters. And in general, the conclusion of some pacts only adds excitement to the participants in the game.

The game also has Additional tasks, so to speak, to increase interest. For example, you will need to repair buildings, send your spies into enemy territory, this will allow you to find out the secret data of your enemy.

In the game itself 50 building cards that can be destroyed, they will have to be restored.

Building cards

For repairs, a certain number of workers are moved to the allocated cells. Then from 7 buildings we choose what we need in this moment time. Cheap buildings go into construction for free, and for expensive ones you will have to give a coin, in the "bribe" cell.

Freedom of action completely shifts the initiative to the player, and only you decide what will be built, a laboratory, or a scientific academy. If you need to destroy your enemy's building, you can use bombs, which you need to prepare in advance. It is necessary to strike at the enemy of your country not spontaneously, but deliberately, and even more so, purposefully. Proceed from your own logic, the destruction of which part of the enemy can harm him the most, and also calculate the enemy's response to your infrastructure.

Market

The game has a completely free market, there is also complete freedom of action on the part of the players. Everyone develops in their own direction.

The priority, of course, is the extraction of raw materials, from which we will make the filling for our destructive bomb.

After you received necessary components, and have studied the bomb well enough, you can safely proceed to its manufacture.

The game is extremely realistic, and this can be understood because the developers reacted to the reliability of the names and formulas. For example, the game has such terms as the isotopes of uranium 235, and Plutonium 239. These elements exist in reality, and are deadly not only for humans, but for all life on planet earth in Game Manhattan Project (Manhattan).

Resources

In the Manhattan game project, the main resource is the working staff, there are only 3 varieties of them.

1. Scientists
2. Engineers
3. laborers

It is these units that do all the work. Their task is to create a plan, develop, and extract resources to build super-powerful weapons. Units can also spy on your enemy's territory. To obtain greater professionalism, workers can undergo special training in the erected training centers of the Manhattan program.

In addition to real resources, you will also need money, with the help of which the control, accounting and exchange of resources takes place. Attacks on the enemy are delivered by combat aircraft, for which there are specially equipped cages.

Equipment

• The set includes 23 workers, engineers and scientists.
• Discs in the amount of 15 pieces
• Coins - 48 pieces
• Markers for unloading atomic bombs in the amount of 10 pieces
  50 buildings
• Cake resources are indicated as yellow cubes
• Damage markers - 16 pieces
• Trial first explosions available 10 trials
• Aircraft - 10 pieces
• Tablets for each player - 5 pieces
• Additional fields - 5 units
• Rules / instructions for the game, with a full explanation of the game.

Do not worry, a variety of details does not complicate the game at all, but rather gives excitement, the game becomes multifaceted, and due to this, players have more choice, and as a result, freedom of choice. There is only one minus, if at least one element from the kit in the box is suddenly lost, the game will no longer be complete. Separate items are not for sale, you will have to buy new game along with a set, or reduce the number of players, which is not very pleasant for a group of friends.

Before starting the game, we strongly recommend that you read the rules completely, from cover to cover. The game is very specific, and there are moments that are fraught with nuances and surprises. But the essence is always the same, it is to score as many points as possible during the game. Beginner to start comfortable game you should remember the useful functionality of some buildings, and the abilities of your workers.

Any employee of your top-secret enterprise can become an excellent engineer or scientist, so you need to invest in the educational direction.

What is included

Game mechanics

Each player has his own board, which contains fields for personal planes and bombers. During one turn, you can fire all your workers at once, or hire new ones. After you have made one action, you need to pass the move to another player. As mentioned above, the game has complete freedom of action, and it's up to you to decide who to hire and who to fire.

In order to hire new staff for work, perform the following manipulations:

• Place your workers on the playing field.
• Place workers on the field in any of the buildings.

The last point can be renewed as long as you have unoccupied units. The dismissed are automatically credited to your reserve, free workers can be useful to you, for example, you can use them to extract the necessary raw materials in the mines.

playing field

Insidious spy

With the help of the available location "Spy", you have the opportunity to get the resources necessary for the development of the bomb on the side, that is, without using your industrial buildings. The game configuration allows each player to have 6 spies. Before each next deployment of an agent, you need to increase your personal level. Deploy an agent in an enemy free building. If necessary, you can easily recall your spy back home.

On August 12, 1945, the 5 great powers agreed in an arms race. Each power strives to get ahead of its rival in the invention of the most powerful and most deadly weapons. Players will take on the role of the leaders of the Manhattan project to develop a nuclear bomb and bring their country to the forefront.

The task of the players is to build special secret laboratories and test nuclear weapons in order to make their country a superpower.

Actions in the game are divided into 2 sections:

Main field. It gives you the opportunity to earn money, buy buildings, factories, necessary materials and create bombs.

On their turn, a player can take one of two actions:

Place workers. The player places 1 worker on the main field and several on the individual field, immediately applying the necessary actions. For example, a player can place his worker in the yellow mines on the main field to earn cakes, and on his field send engineers to the factory to create several bombers.

Remove workers. The participant must remove all his workers from the main field to a personal warehouse. The player can make such a decision if he does not have the opportunity to place workers, or he wants to change the tactics of the game.

Placing players on a particular section of the main field brings its own income and opportunities.

Finance - monetary profit.

Airstrike allows you to launch airstrikes on rivals and bomb their factories and plants.

The mines are the source of yellowcake. This resource can be exchanged for money or converted into uranium.

Universities turn out new workers.

The reactor and enrichment plant produce plutonium and uranium. Only a scientist can do such things.

Construction - the ability to purchase a building or factory.

Repair - will require a worker and $ 5 to repair an object from the participant.

Espionage allows you to send your workers to the fields of rivals.

Bomb development is one of the main events of the game, when one of the participants decides to start developing weapons. This decision can lead to the end of the game.

Gradually developing your state and enriching yourself necessary resources, the players have a plan to create a nuclear weapon. Using the accumulated uranium or plutonium and the best scientists in the world, players build, test, detonate and deploy bombs. It is these actions that bring the highest victory points.

The first country to reach the required number of points wins and becomes a superpower

The Manhattan Project is a game for fans of geopolitics and big strategy games. This game will bring a lot of fun to you and your friends and will allow you to spend your free time excitingly.

Equipment:

• 24 worker tiles;
• 24 tiles of scientists;
• 24 engineer tiles;
• 10 bomber tokens;
• 50 building cards;
• 30 bomb cards;
• 48 coins;
• 15 player disks;
• 10 bomb loading markers;
• 5 test explosion tokens;
• 16 double-sided damage markers;
• 40 cubes of yellow cake;
• 5 personal fields of players;
• rules of the game.

Start of the nuclear race

In 1945, the era of armaments began. For the first time, the atom was considered as a material capable of significantly increasing the firepower of any power. The best minds in each country started working on the atomic bomb, and so the arms race began, where you are responsible for all the tests carried out under this program.

How to become a nuclear superpower

To get ahead in the board game, you will need to score a certain number of points that are given for the creation, testing and delivery of atomic bombs to your state's nuclear stockpile. If you are one of the first to score the required number of points, then you have won.

What do we have to do

The scheme of the game is quite simple - you recruit personnel for yourself, competently distribute them among work areas and, in between, do not forget to analyze the actions of your opponents.

What does production look like?

The main resource in the board game is Yellowcake, it is used to create enriched uranium in factories. The reactors, in turn, are engaged in the creation of plutonium. In order for someone to work in these factories, it is necessary to train the staff at universities. In addition to everything, you will have aircraft that are produced in factories.

Build your strategy taking into account the actions of opponents

Your main goal is to create nuclear weapons. But you should not get too carried away with one thing, as rivals will constantly try to disable your plants and factories with their bombers.

Is there diplomacy in the game

Diplomacy is well developed in the board game. If you have taken the lead, then be prepared for the fact that the rivals will agree among themselves and will do everything to remove you from the position of leader, because few people want the enemies to have atomic weapons first.

What else to do in the game

In addition to all of the above in the board game, you will repair your buildings, carry out state espionage to reveal the secrets of the enemy.

What symbolizes the end of the game

This is usually the end of the production of the bomb, its testing at the test site and the taking of this weapon into service on a permanent basis.

The board game is perfect for both a company of players and for two. it resource strategy, which will make you plunge into the arms race for a while, so if you like such a genre as strategy, then this game is definitely for you! Feel free to go to the store and buy the Manhattan Project, this board game deserves to be in your collection!

Beginning of the game

At the beginning Manhattan Project only four laborers are subject to the player, but this warehouse will soon be replenished with scientists and engineers, without whom, as we know, there is nowhere. But in order to succeed in the arms race, there is a lot of work to be done. All branches of this laborious process are represented on the playing field. At the construction site, the player chooses one of the buildings currently on the market. Having paid for the purchase, he takes the card for himself, and the market is replenished from the deck. The player places the acquired buildings on his personal field.

airstrike

airstrike in a board game allows you to control the military power of your opponents. Each fighter destroys any other enemy aircraft. Bombers can go to the target only if it is not guarded by fighters. Each bomber spent allows you to damage one of the opponent's buildings to make it impossible to use. A repair cell is provided for repairing buildings.

Factories

Factories allow you to purchase new aircraft units, or receive money. In the mines, workers extract uranium ore, called yellow cake.

Universities

The university allows you to get new workers, both permanent and hired. Mercenaries after a single use leave the player's staff.

bomb development

The development of bombs, in turn, starts the process of an arms race, in which all players are involved. The player who initiated the development takes all the bomb cards from the table, examines them and takes one for himself. Then the player to his left does the same, and so on in order. Since the bombs are always one more than the players, then according to the rules of the board game, the developer will receive not one, but two cards at once. Then they are immediately laid out a replacement from the deck.

Stuffing for bombs

Finally, scientists in the reactor area can convert the yellowcake into Plutonium or Enriched uranium, thus creating a stuffing for bombs.

Accommodation of workers

On his turn, the player makes the choice to either place workers or take from all. If the player decides to place a worker, then he chooses any free cell on the field and places it there. The cost of such placement is indicated inside the cell, and the resources received are below. It is important to remember that a player cannot place more than one worker on the game board during his turn, but as many as he likes on already built buildings on his personal tablet.

Particular attention should be paid to the espionage track, if the player places his worker in such a cell, then he will be able to send the corresponding number of his workers not only to his own, but also to other people's buildings.

bomb production

Also, if a player chooses to place workers on his turn, he may choose to build a bomb. Each bomb card in the board game requires a certain combination of workers and the expenditure of a certain amount of fuel. If the conditions are met, the player places such a card in front of him. The number at the bottom is the victory points that the player has earned. Unlike uranium bombs, plutonium bombs have two types of victory points. To receive big numbers, it is necessary to test at least one such bomb. To conduct a test, you can drop an already built plutonium bomb to the bottom of the deck, and then take the test explosion token with the largest number. Also, by paying the amount of money indicated on the bomb, it can be loaded onto a plane and receive 5 additional victory points for this.

End of the game

The game will come to an end as soon as one of the players scores the number of points indicated in a special table.

Outcome

is an interesting board strategy on a slightly sensitive topic. However, we can say that we can say that there are no victims during the game. Even workers have time to hide in bunkers when buildings are bombarded. The essence of the game comes down to competent personnel management and right choice between military buildup, scientific development and espionage. The work of the localizers was done well, even minor inscriptions on the playing field were translated, and the names of the bombs were adapted in places to domestic realities. The rules are written quite concisely and very substantively, which makes it possible to simplify the process of mastering the game.