Manhattan

Frequently Asked Questions

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May I top a building that I already own?
Since there is no rule in the rulebook explicitly stating that you may not do this, we advise you to agree on this as a house ruling before you start to play.
What happens when the draw deck runs out of cards?
Players keep the cards in their hands. All other cards played get shuffled into a new draw deck.
Which type of majority applies for the city majority scoring rule?
You get the points for relative majority, no need to have absolute majority in a city.
Related Rule(s)
When did the original Manhattan (Hans im Glück) win the Spiel des Jahres award?
In 1994. It also made the 3rd place for Deutscher Spielepreis (Best Family/Adult Game) in the same year.
Related Rule(s)
Do I keep my hand for the next round?
Yes
Yes, you keep the cards in your hand for the next round.
Related Rule(s)
When is the start player marker passed on to the next player?
At the end of a round, after the scoring phase, the current starting player passes the start block marker to the player on their left.
Related Rule(s)
How do I score points?
At the end of each round, players score points for the highest building overall (+3), for the majority in a city (+2 per city) and individual buildings (+1 per building owned). For further scoring details see related rule.
Related Rule(s)
When do I draw cards?
At the end of your turn.
How do I own a building?
If you put your block on top of a building and claim majority through owning at least as many stories as the player with the most stories in that building, you're the new owner of that building. You must follow the rules for ownership and majority (see related rule).
Can I combine 2 or more building blocks in order to build a bigger block on my turn?
No, you cannot.
May I place my building block on top of any other tower of blocks?
Yes, you can, but you must follow the rules for ownership and majority (see related rule).
May players sit at the same side of the game board?
Yes, they may, but it is not recommended. If you need to share sides, before starting to play, define which player occupies which side of the game board virtually and play the cards in your turn with a corresponding rotation - as if you sat on the corresponding side of the game board.
Related Rule(s)
What is the regular number of cards in my hand?
4
At the beginning of your turn, you have 4 cards in your hand. You play 1 card in your turn and draw 1 card from the deck of cards at the end of your turn.
What are the tiebreakers if 2 or more players have the same score at the end of the game?
If there is tie, the player who owns the highest tower wins. If there is still a tie, the player who has the majority in more cities wins the game.
Related Rule(s)
Who starts the game?
The oldest player is the starting player and takes the black start player block.
Related Rule(s)
Who wins the game?
The player with the most points at the end of the last round wins Manhattan.