In the game, players aim to construct and control skyscrapers that will award points.
Manhattan received generally positive reviews and won the 1994 Spiel des Jahres award.
It was the winner of Spiel des Jahres in 1994, with the jury describing it as "original and highly stimulating", praising the game's engagement, accessibility, and interaction; despite some contemporary reviews being mixed.
The accessibility and mechanics of the game were praised, but it was also criticised its lack of complexity, dated design, and limited appeal for two players.
[3] A review from Lautapeliopas described the gameplay as decent, but was critical of the components and scalability.