Throughout the gameplay, the player will have to build a variety of facilities to terraform the desert landscapes of the Red Planet. The enemy corporations will try to hinder the player's progress. Terraforming Mars received solid reviews for its challenging strategy gameplay and replay value.
Terraforming Mars
Based on a popular board game, Terraforming Mars is a turn-based strategy, developed and published by Asmodee Games. With the help of Jacob Fryxelius, the creator of the original tabletop Terraforming Mars, the game throws the player into the world of powerful corporations fighting for control over the Red Planet and its resources. As the leader of one such conglomerate, the player's job will be to turn Mars from uninhabitable wasteland to a thriving world. Using a variety of gameplay features based on the board game's mechanics, TM offers the player a unique gaming experience. The title received generally positive reviews from the critics, who praised the strategically challenging gameplay and excellent replay value.
Life on Mars
The gameplay of Terraforming Mars draws inspirations from both the original board game – including the use of various ability cards - as well as many contemporary strategy titles. The player begins their adventure with the task of bringing life to the inhospitable Martian deserts. To do that, they will have to build installations in order to deliver oxygen to the planet, create sources of water and vegetation. As the planet becomes more habitable, the fist colonizers will begin to arrive. The player will have to build accommodation for them as well as create workspaces.
The player's corporation isn't the only one working on colonizing Mars. Enemy factions, controlled either by AI or other players, will try to halt the player's progress, so erecting installations to prevent that will be a crucial step on the player's quest to terraforming the Red Planet.
Conquest of the Red Planet
Living on Mars is the future, and it's your job to make that future possible. Take the reins of a powerful corporation and begin the terraforming process of the Red Planet. Create oxygen, water, and vegetation in the barren wasteland. Build cities and invite colonizers to inhabit them. Face off against other terraforming factions and gain the upper hand over your competition by hindering their progress. Everything is permitted when humanity's future in space is involved.
Reception
Terraforming Mars was met with generally positive reviews from the critics and players. One of the features the reviewers considered the most interesting about the game is how it handled translating the tabletop board game mechanics into virtual gameplay. Reviews noted the excellent strategic quality to the gameplay and replayability, thanks to randomized resources awarded to the player during each turn. In summary, Terraforming Mars, while here and there rough around the edges, manages to be a competent strategy game with a tabletop twist.
Key features
- Conquer the Red Planet and make it habitable for humans.
- Build installations to terraform the Barren wasteland of Mars, creating lush woodlands and crystal clear pools of water.
- Face off against other corporations, hindering your terraforming progress.
- Enjoy the gameplay features combining turn-based strategy mechanics and the original board game cards system.
- Take on the game solo or compete against your friends in multiplayer.
