The board game Terraforming Mars takes players on a journey to terraform the red planet into an Earth-like world. The goal of the game is to build up a human colony and stabilize its atmosphere so that humans can live there without pressurized suits. To do this, you must balance energy use with heat production, plant forests for oxygen generation, produce food for your settlers, and more. In this review, we will cover everything from how components are made and what artwork quality looks like to gameplay overview in detail.
| Rilascio | 2016 |
| Giocatori | 1 – 5 |
| Tempo di gioco | ~2 hours |
| Età | 12+ |
| Categoria | Economic, Card Game, Science Fiction |
| Designer | Jacob Fryxelius |
| Artista | Isaac Fryxelius |
| Editori | Stronghold Games, FryxGames |
What is Terraforming Mars?
Terraforming Mars is a board game about colonizing and terraforming the planet. The goal of the game is to build up a human colony on Mars, so people can live there without using pressurized suits for oxygen. To do this, players need to balance their energy use with heat production, plant forests for oxygen generation, produce food for settlers in order to create an environment where humans could thrive.
The board game was designed by Jacob Fryxelius who also created other board games like After The Virus (2017) or Space Station (2011).
This review will cover everything from how components are made and what artwork quality looks like to gameplay overview in detail. We hope that after this review you can decide if this board game is worth your time and money.
Panoramica del gioco
Terraforming Mars board game is a strategy board game developed by Fryxelius. To win the game, you need to create a place on planet Mars where humans could survive. There are limited resources and other players who might try to take them from you. Players need to balance their energy use with heat production to make oxygen for settlers who are building the terraformed world together in order for it to have any chance at sustaining life. This board game is about getting your people to mars and protecting them. You need to plan carefully so they can get there and protect themselves. Terraforming Mars comes with a lot of variety including cards, tiles, tokens, and components that all have to be used in the game.
The board itself is designed to be a map of the planet Mars. The game board may seem simple at first glance, but it actually has plenty of detail on it. You have to make sure that you choose where on the map you want your factory. There are different areas with special resources and they will produce different things, so think about what you need before you place it. Areas also have hexes that can act like event cards or show new tiles for building when your rover is set there.
Qualità dei componenti e delle opere d'arte
Let’s talk about the game itself. The box is surprisingly large for being a card-game starter pack, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored as an option to somebody who has never played before and wants something easy to get them into deck-building games as this one can offer. There are three trays inside with plastic pieces in each corresponding color: cities, forests, water; all of which have slots on either side so you don’t need a storage space outside of what comes with your purchase–quite convenient!
The board is made of thick, durable cardboard and has three piles for the cards which are all color-coded (differentiating between different types) to make it even easier on new players.
The artwork in Terraforming Mars is gorgeous. Bright colors come alive against a desolate landscape that seems like an impossible task to change into anything more than what it currently is–a wasteland. The buildings look futuristic and sleek while the water looks so clear as if you could see right through it–not too much detail was lost when they were etched onto these cards! They’re not just pretty pictures because this game offers some difficult strategies. Don’t let the accessibility fool you!
Pro e contro
Terraforming Mars is a game that combines strategic elements and tough choices with an exciting, interactive experience. It’s a competitive yet collaborative board game for two to four players. Your group competes in terraforming through resource management beefed up by dice rolling and card playing during the course of three ages to earn victory points.
A fun way for friends or family members or random people you meet at conventions, bars, and pay lots who want to play solo – okay not at pay lots there are too many hitting cars wallets going missing – but otherwise, this game can be played one on one! In about 90 minutes you’ll dig out ice caps, control oxygen levels, work towards your various victory goals as quickly as possible (and maybe help each other to avoid the likely disasters, which are also board game mechanics).
Terraforming mars is a great game, but it has some pretty significant flaws. The production for the game is simply not up to par with other games of this caliber. There are not enough boards included for people to actually play the game and there might be too complex of some gameplay aspects.
Final thoughts
This board game is a great deal of fun, but it has some flaws. However, the pros outweigh the cons and this board game will provide hours of entertainment for all players involved. The collaborative nature of the gameplay makes Terraforming Mars easily accessible to new players while still providing plenty of depth that more experienced gamers can get into with tons of replayability.
- Compete for different milestones and awards worth many VPS
- Over 200 different projects to complete
However, if you’re looking for an engaging brain teaser that will keep your group on their toes then this may be just what you need! We encourage you to buy now so we can continue our mission in making games more accessible and enjoyable for everyone around the world.
