Mars has recently become a common theme in tabletop games. It’s understandable, the allure of space travel and the closeness of Mars makes it an object of… dare I say… curiosity. Ha! Geddit? Curiosity! Anyway, one of new games that uses the Mars theme to great effect is Terraforming Mars – a strategy game from Stronghold Games and Fryxgames.
In Terraforming Mars, you play as a corporation from the 2400s, tasked with raising the temperature, oxygen level and ocean coverage of Mars to make it habitable. You work together with other players in the terraforming process, but you compete for victory points that are awarded not only for your contribution to the terraforming, but also for advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar system.
Despite only being released last year, Terraforming Mars is already getting its first expansion in June 2017 in the form of TM: Hellas and Elysium. The new expansion comes with a new, double-sided game board representing two new areas of Mars.
Elysium will take the players on a trip to almost the exact opposite side of Mars, where there are vast lowlands for oceans in the north and a dry, mineral-rich south. Hellas, the southern wild, includes Mars’ South Pole and an enormous 7-hex Hellas crater.
Each of these maps consists of completely new sets of Milestones and Awards with relevance for each particular map. Place three tiles in the south to become Polar Explorer, or race to have the most tiles adjacent to water on Elysium. How you play is obviously up to you!
I haven’t had a chance to play Terraforming Mars yet, as I mentioned it’s a pretty new game, but if you’ve played it then let me know. Are you excited to be expanding your terraforming opportunities, or are you happy with the core game for now?
Last Updated: January 16, 2017
Admiral Chief
January 16, 2017 at 12:38
First tabletop article of CH?
Tracy Benson
January 16, 2017 at 12:41
Uh, nope. Check the Tabletop tab, it’s been going since last week!
Admiral Chief
January 16, 2017 at 12:47
Just glad to see this category getting articles!
miaau
January 16, 2017 at 12:44
Not seeing the point of other games yet. Settlers of Catan is fun.
Other games run on similar principles to Settlers (in my mind at least) OR are complicated and take like 8 hours to get somewhere. Cylons, I am looking at you. Fun, but so complicated.
Again, if I still enojy Settlers, why shift around? I suppose for the mars themes and changes, but I a the Sci-fi nut, not the Wife and friends.
Marc Alexandre
January 16, 2017 at 18:04
If you’re satisfied with Catan, stay with Catan. But this does not mean everyone is satisfied. I despise Catan, can’t play it. It’s good that there is games for everyone.
miaau
January 17, 2017 at 10:27
Very happy to hear that. I am a firm believer in each to their own and that there are many, many tastes and feelings out there.
I do, however, think that some of the games out there (do not know this one exactly) borrow a lot from Catan in some ways. That was more my point, fairly accessible, simple board-games, meant for a night of fun with friends, after supper perhaps, follow a similar pattern.
Ok, I assume borrow from Catan. Perhaps not.
Keith Langley
January 18, 2017 at 03:53
there is a world of games out there, and most of them are nothing like Catan – though as the first Euro-style game to go “mainstream”, Catan is what people think of when they think of strategy games. But to say “if you have Catan, why get another game” is like saying “if you have pizza, why get different food?” Catan is about as similar to TM as pizza is to raspberry ice cream. You might like one and not the other, or love both, but if you like games (or food) at all, it’s worth trying several different types. To capture a bit of the different flavors out there, without getting into anything too complex, look for:
Ticket to Ride
Pandemic
Dominion, Mystic Vale or Trains
Splendor
Codenames
Coup, Werewolf, Love Letter, or Sheriff of Nottingham
Agricola, Viticulture or Lords of Waterdeep
Seven Wonders
that should give you a sampling of some of the broad families of games (or to continue the analogy, a salad, a dessert, some seafood, etc). Then you’ll know what families you tend to enjoy, and can seek out new challenges – http://www.boardgamegeek.com is a great guide.
Craig "Crios" Boonzaier
January 16, 2017 at 12:53
The Dice Tower guys rated the base game pretty well. Been looking to get a strategy tile placement game. Also been looking at Carcassonne.
Marc Alexandre
January 16, 2017 at 18:02
That’s not at all in the same categories. Carcassonne is a gateway game really nice. I found it best at 2, but it’s a really personal preference. It’s almost always short (except if you play with all the expansions, but don’t do that), like 1h for 4 people. The tile placement is almost the only mechanics.
Terraforming Mars is a beast of a game. 4 players will be 3 hours for most, sometimes more, sometimes less. It’s a deep and long and complex strategy games (the rules are fairly straightforward, but the strategy is complex). The tile placement element is secondary (at least it’s what I think from my first plays). The main aspect is your engine building.
I like both games, but after your comment I was not sure if you knew this, and getting TM might be overwhelming if you want a simple and fun tile placing game.
Craig "Crios" Boonzaier
January 17, 2017 at 07:34
I understand they are not fully in the same category, I was more referring to the tile placement part, as I yet to own a game personally that has that mechanic. Our game group has a few of these though like Carcasonne, Tsuro and Betrayal, yes they are all slightly different but they all involve a Tile Placement aspect. At the end of the day however, we all try to get games that the others don’t have yet, so that we can share them.