Fantastic Factories: Manufactions

Deep Water Games, Metafactory Games, BoardM Factory · Board game · 2021
1–5 · best 3 Solo 45–60 min Weight 2.4/5
rating Ludopedia
8.0 rating BGG
How to Play Buy
rating Ludopedia
8.0 rating BGG
Our Verdict

A must-have for base game owners looking for more strategic depth and combo variety.

Highlights
  • New asymmetrical powers via factions
  • More variety of blueprints and resources
  • Significantly increases replayability
  • More complex and satisfying engine building
Keep in mind
  • Requires the base game to play
  • Increases the game's cognitive load
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Learn How to Play Step by Step Check out our complete step-by-step rules guide.
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About the game
If you already enjoy the chaos of building production lines in Fantastic Factories, get ready to level up your industry with the Manufactions expansion. This module isn't just a simple 'add-on', but a significant upgrade that injects much more depth and variety into the gaming experience. The goal here is to expand the creation possibilities, bringing in new blueprints that challenge your optimization skills and new contractors that change the dynamics of how you score and acquire resources.

The highlight of Manufactions is the corporate factions. Now, you aren't just a generic factory owner; you take control of corporations with unique powers. This means every game will have a different strategic layer, as the abilities vary and force you to adapt your production engine to make the most of your specific power. Additionally, the introduction of 'vitamin' resources adds more layers of complexity to input management, requiring you to better plan your production cycles to avoid running out of materials at the critical moment.

For those who love the feeling of 'I'm building the perfect machine', Manufactions delivers exactly that. You'll find more multi-use card options and new ways to interact with the dice rolling and locking mechanics, making risk management even more exciting. It's the ideal expansion for those who felt the base game was a bit linear or for anyone who simply wants more variety in combos and strategies. If you love engine-building games with a touch of controlled luck and heavy hand management, this content is essential to keep your factories operating at maximum capacity.
Expansion for
Expansions
Rules videos

In English

Rules manual
Rules manual — Fantastic Factories: Manufactions English · PDF
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BEST PLAYER COUNT
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Game details

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Crowdfunding: Kickstarter Game: Fantastic Factories Misc: Watch It Played How To Videos
Publisher Deep Water Games, Metafactory Games, BoardM Factory, Lucky Duck Games, Maldito Games, MeepleBR, Portal Games, Strohmann Games
Designer Joseph Z. Chen, Justin Faulkner
Artist Joseph Z. Chen, Martha Webby
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need the base game to play Manufactions?
Yes! This is an expansion, so you must own the original Fantastic Factories to use this content.
Does the game become much harder with the expansion?
The complexity increases slightly due to new powers and resources, but nothing that changes the game's essence. It's more 'deep' than 'difficult'.
How many players can play with the expansion?
It maintains the same count as the base game: 1 to 5 players, including the solo mode.
What do the corporate factions actually change?
They introduce asymmetrical powers, meaning each player has a unique advantage, altering the strategy of every game.
Does the playtime increase significantly?
Playtime remains around 45-60 minutes, although the first game might take longer as everyone learns the new rules.