Terraforming Mars

2h - 2h
1 - 5
12+
Publishers
  • FryxGames
  • Arclight Games
  • Brädspel.se
  • Fantasmagoria
  • Ghenos Games
  • Green Elephant Games
  • Intrafin Games
  • Kaissa Chess & Games
  • Kilogames
  • Korea Boardgames
  • Lautapelit.fi
  • Lavka Games
  • Lex Games
  • Maldito Games
  • MeepleBR
  • MINDOK
  • MIPL
  • MYBG Co., Ltd.
  • NeoTroy Games
  • Rebel Sp. z o.o.
  • Reflexshop
  • Schwerkraft-Verlag
  • Siam Board Games
  • Stronghold Games
  • SuperHeated Neurons
  • Surfin' Meeple China
Designers
  • Jacob Fryxelius
Artists
  • Isaac Fryxelius
  • Daniel Fryxelius
Mechanics
  • Closed Drafting
  • Contracts
  • End Game Bonuses
  • Hand Management
  • Hexagon Grid
  • Income
  • Set Collection
  • Solo / Solitaire Game
  • Tags
  • Take That
  • Tech Trees / Tech Tracks
  • Tile Placement
  • Turn Order: Progressive
  • Variable Player Powers
  • Variable Set-up
  • Victory Points as a Resource
Families
  • Category: Dized Tutorial
  • Components: Map (Global Scale)
  • Components: Multi-Use Cards
  • Digital Implementations: Board Game Arena
  • Digital Implementations: Google Play
  • Digital Implementations: Steam
  • Game: Terraforming Mars
  • Mechanism: Tableau Building
  • Occupation: Engineer
  • Players: Games with Solitaire Rules
  • Setting: Future Timeline (Fryxgames)
  • Space: Earth's Solar System
  • Space: Jupiter
  • Space: Mars
  • Theme: Science
Categories
  • Economic
  • Environmental
  • Industry / Manufacturing
  • Science Fiction
  • Space Exploration
  • Territory Building

In the 2400s, mankind begins to terraform the planet Mars. Giant corporations, sponsored by the World Government on Earth, initiate huge projects to raise the temperature, the oxygen level, and the ocean coverage until the environment is habitable. In Terraforming Mars, you play one of those corporations and work together in the terraforming process, but compete for getting victory points that are awarded not only for your contribution to the terraforming, but also for advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar system, and doing other commendable things.

The players acquire unique project cards (from over two hundred different ones) by buying them to their hand. The cards can give you immediate bonuses, as well as increasing your production of different resources. Many cards also have requirements and they become playable when the temperature, oxygen, or ocean coverage increases enough. Buying cards is costly, so there is a balance between buying cards and actually playing them. Standard Projects are always available to complement your cards. Your basic income, as well as your basic score, is based on your Terraform Rating. However, your income is complemented with your production, and you also get VPs from many other sources.

Each player keeps track of their production and resources on their player boards, and the game uses six types of resources: MegaCredits, Steel, Titanium, Plants, Energy, and Heat. On the game board, you compete for the best places for your city tiles, ocean tiles, and greenery tiles. You also compete for different Milestones and Awards worth many VPs. Each round is called a generation and consists of the following phases:

1) Player order shifts clockwise. 2) Research phase: All players buy cards from four privately drawn. 3) Action phase: Players take turns doing 1-2 actions from these options: Playing a card, claiming a Milestone, funding an Award, using a Standard project, converting plant into greenery tiles (and raising oxygen), converting heat into a temperature raise, and using the action of a card in play. The turn continues around the table (sometimes several laps) until all players have passed. 4) Production phase: Players get resources according to their terraform rating and production parameters.

When the three global parameters (temperature, oxygen, ocean) have all reached their goal, the terraforming is complete, and the game ends after that generation. Count your Terraform Rating and other VPs to determine the winning corporation!