Terraforming Mars (2016)
Designed by: Jacob Fryxelius
Art by: Isaac Fryxelius
Produced by: Stronghold Games
Players: 1-4
Age: 12+
Play Time: 60-120
Overview:
In the 2400's, sponsored by the World Government of Earth, you and other giant corporations are tasked with terraforming Mars, making it habitable. There's money and fame to be had for the corporation that contributes the most, but first 3 global requirements must be met. Watch the red planet transform, as you Terraform Mars.
Main Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Hand Management
Engine Building
Components Review:
The Terraforming Mars base game comes packed, mostly with a huge array of cards. The cards themselves are okay. There are a ton of unique cards that make the game so replayable, but other than that, they serve their purpose; they are streamlined and informative, though many of them seem like stock art. This is the one place that the components lack. Everything else is great! The board is great. though it is a rectangular board, the play area really draws your attention. The round, planetary play area, starts barren and beautifully transforms over the course of the game, filling with oceans, cities and greeneries. Terraforming Mars also includes plastic cubes to track resources, tile ownership, and credits (money). I really like the cubes. The semi-translucent player cubes add a nice pop of color to the board, and the credit cubes really help with the theme for me. The money in the game is futuristic, not simply coins. The worst part about the components of the base game are the player boards, they are awful and thin. Everyone who has played agrees. That being said, they are usable, but there are also plenty of upgrades available online. I have the upgraded player boards from the Turmoil expansion Kickstarter and they are such a welcomed add on.
Gameplay review:
Terraforming Mars is played over a series of generations (rounds), and played until all global parameters (temperature, oxygen levels, and ocean coverage) are met, and the planet is able to sustain life. Generations are made up of 4 phases: Player Order, Research, Actions, and Production. During Player Order, the start player token moves clockwise. During Research, players, draw new cards and buy new contracts (project cards). The bulk of the game takes place in the Actions phase. In the Actions phase, players take turns doing one or two actions, until they decide to pass. There are many, many action options, the main one being the completion of projects, either standard or from a card. Lastly, during Production, players produce resources according to their player board and prepare for the next generation of terraforming. The game continues until all global parameters are met, at which point players finish out the current generation. The game is then scored and player with the highest terraforming rating wins.
The Solo variant is just as fun for me. Instead of playing against other corporations, you play against the clock, needing to terraform the planet in a set number of generations. Game play is relatively the same, which means there aren't a lot of extra rules to learn if you want to play on a quiet afternoon alone. I have had a lot of great experiences playing solo while my wife and kids nap. The solo variant is a puzzle that captures all the strategy and fun of a regular game.
Terraforming Mars is a game that I have yet to turn down when someone offers to play. There is a reason it is constantly near the top on Board Game Geek. I love that the game plays well at all player counts, and in a reasonable amount of time. I would attribute this to the low player interaction. Terraforming Mars for me, is a game that thrives on moves you make and less on what other players do to you. There is relatively low player interaction, so players get to focus on their own strategy. This is a big win for me because losing doesn't feel so bad. Instead, it gives you the opportunity to analyze your strategy and think about what you would do next time. And trust me, you will want there to be a next time.
Final thoughts:
I love Terraforming Mars. The way the board transforms over the course of the game is beautiful. The huge selection of cards provides tons of combinations and replayability. There are many strategies that a player can create based on their corporation and the projects they decide to take on. On top of this, there are currently four expansions for increased variety and to deepen gameplay. If I could make 3 recommendations, they would be: 1. If you're interested in Terraforming Mars also buy the Prelude expansion (it's optional but it jump starts gameplay), 2. Buy upgraded player boards (definitely optional, but makes tracking your resources less of a hassle), 3. BUY THIS GAME ALREADY!!
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