I was taught Manifest Destiny by designer Crenshaw 2 years ago. It took me 3 games to learn the mechanics. I have played at least 30 times now and love this game. It is quicker and easier to absorb than Age of Renaissance, a game I also enjoy. I taught it to my wife, who dislikes AOR, and she enjoyed it immensely.

Game design: the pieces are easy to use, the colors are easily discerned, the map is large and easily read. The only issue is the missing connection between West and East South America, and a pen fixes that in 5 seconds.

The pioneer breakthrough concept is a new one. Players need to elect whether to spend tokens on expansion or researching, purchasing cities or cards. Tokens are limited so these are important decisions.

Attacks balance because early players get fewer tokens, but get to pioneer track easier. Each successive player ends up paying more tokens to purchase pioneer or card, thereby reducing tokens available to expand. Game has several balancing features.

Cards are fun. They can pay or be played for event. Not every event is helpful or harmful. Some are both.

This game is well worth the money and ends much quicker than AOR with far less computation.

The game usually ends in 3 to 4 hours. It can be played 3, 4 or 5 player. All are fun.

To be fair, the group I play with have not even finished our first game of Manifest Destiny, but from our first impressions, there is little chance that it will be given a second look.

The game board and components have a rushed, mismatched and ugly appearance. Clip art from various sources, (looking mostly like free internet downloads, including the fuzzy pixelation you get when images are enlarged) give this game a cheap and rushed look. Colors are bland, with no real artistic look to the game board itself.

The game play is a mish-mash of Risk-style combat and movement, Monopoly-style technology purchases and advancements, and a random mix of card play and economics, vaguely reminding me of Civilization.

Worst of all, the game is DULL, with nothing in game play to suggest the promise of the game's title. With no real way to defend your territories, there can be no real long term strategy. Card play, with few exceptions is marginally useful, but mostly irrelevant. Many of the cards do not help or hurt the individual player, but help or hurt everyone when played, thereby lessening their worth.

With relatively free movement and free will to purchase technolgy and advancements, this has the feel of a five player game of solitaire or competitive FreeCell. Manifest's destiny is to remain on the shelf, unplayed, and unmourned.

this game is highly detailed and not for children. takes hours to learn and even longer to play -IF you can find 3 or more people who can understand the cracked out rules, which change according to the number of players. regrettable purchase.