Terraforming Mars
Age Range
How Many Players
Rating
Play Time?
14+
1-5
G
2-3 Hours
erraforming Mars is a board game that simulates the process of terraforming the planet Mars. Players take on the roles of corporations, each with their own unique abilities and resources, and compete to transform Mars into a habitable world by raising the temperature, increasing the oxygen levels, and introducing plant and animal life.
Variations
Solo Challenge: Players can compete in a solo challenge to see who can achieve the highest Terraforming Rating in a set number of generations.
Team Challenge: Players can form teams and compete to see which team can reach the highest Terraforming Rating in a set number of generations.
Cooperative Play: Instead of competing against each other, players can work together to achieve a set Terraforming Rating goal in a set number of generations.
Alternate Scoring: Players can experiment with alternate scoring systems, such as scoring based on the amount of oxygen or ocean tiles placed on the board.
Drafting Variants: Players can try different drafting variants, such as snake drafting or passing the cards in a different order.
Custom Corporations: Players can create their own custom corporations with unique starting resources and abilities to add more variety to the game.
GAME RULES
In Terraforming Mars, players take on the roles of corporations working together to terraform Mars into a habitable planet. Each player must strategically manage resources and compete with other corporations to complete various projects that increase the planet's oxygen, temperature, and water levels.
The game is played over several rounds, with each round consisting of four phases:
Research phase: Players draw four project cards and choose one to keep, discarding the rest.
Action phase: Players take turns performing actions, such as playing project cards, spending resources to increase the planet's parameters, or using actions on cards they have played.
Production phase: Players receive resources based on their production values.
Cleanup phase: Players discard down to their hand size limit and pass the first player token to the next player.
The game ends when one of three conditions is met: the oxygen level reaches 14%, the temperature level reaches 8°C, or the ocean tiles cover at least nine hexes on the game board. Players earn points for completing projects and increasing the planet's parameters, and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
GAME SETUP
Here's a brief overview of the setup for Terraforming Mars:
Game board: Set up the main game board and place it in the center of the playing area.
Player mats: Each player receives a player mat, which represents their corporation, and places it in front of them.
Resources: Sort the resources (oxygen, heat, and plants) into separate piles and place them near the board. Place the metal, titanium, and energy cubes in a general supply area.
Milestones and Awards: Shuffle the Milestones and Awards cards separately and place them in their respective areas on the board.
Starting corporation: Each player selects a corporation card and takes the corresponding starting resources.
Starting player: Determine the starting player (either by mutual agreement or by a random method).
Starting hand: Each player is dealt four project cards from the deck.
Game markers: Place the game markers (temperature, oxygen, and generation) on the starting values on the board.
Decks: Shuffle the project, greenery, and corporation cards separately, and place them in their respective areas on the board.
Drafting: Project cards are drafted in rounds, with players passing their hands to the left until all cards have been chosen.
Note that this is just a brief overview, and the full setup instructions and rules can be found in the game manual.
Tips, Ideas & More
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