Terraforming Mars
殖民火星
Raise the heat, make oxygen, lay oceans. Corporations terraform Mars together, and the one that did most wins.
- 1–5 players
- about 120 min
- Some thinking
- Strategy
- Cards
- Sci-fi
The goal
Have the most victory points at the end, from your Terraform Rating, milestones, awards, greenery and cities on the map, and points on cards.
How it plays
- 1The game is played in generations. At the start of each, everyone draws 4 project cards and pays 3 megacredits for each one they keep.
- 2In the action phase players take turns doing 1 or 2 actions or passing: play a project card, use a standard project, claim a milestone, fund an award, use a blue card's action, turn 8 plants into a greenery tile, or spend 8 heat to raise the temperature. When everyone has passed, the phase ends.
- 3There are three global parameters: temperature rises from -30 to +8 degrees, oxygen from 0 to 14%, and there are 9 oceans to place. Whoever raises one gains 1 Terraform Rating.
- 4Production phase: all energy becomes heat, then everyone gains megacredits equal to their Terraform Rating plus their megacredit production, and steel, titanium, plants, energy and heat according to their production.
How you win
The game ends after the generation in which temperature, oxygen and oceans are all complete. Everyone gets a last chance to turn plants into greenery, then points are counted and the highest wins.
First time?
- Terraform Rating is both points and income, so raising it early pays twice.
- Don't buy too many cards: each costs 3 megacredits whether you play it or not.
- The Prelude 2 expansion is on the shelf too; add it once you know the base game.