Terraforming Mars

Terraforming Mars is a "Pringles" game; once you've played once, you keep coming back to it. I was first introduced to it by a friend, and soon after bought my own so that I could keep playing. It is very well-balanced and well-made, and provides plenty of fun on an evening which otherwise might have been quite dull. The box comes with a board, 5 player sheets, 5 bags of player cubes (red, yellow, blue, green, and black), 3 bags of metallic cubes for currency, around 200 project cards, and various tiles which indicate forests, cities, oceans, and other structures. All of these are of a decent quality, and so far we have seen no wear and tear to any of them. The board sometimes doesn't lie completely flat, but this doesn't significantly affect gameplay in any way. It is worth bearing in mind that the game takes up a large amount of space, so having a large table or section of floor space clear is a must. It also comes with a much needed instruction booklet; Terraforming Mars has a steep but not long-lasting learning curve which can seem daunting, but is well worth giving a go. After playing only one game, the whole family had gotten a firm grasp of the basic rules, and we're now playing near expertly, able to plan ahead and strategise based on our knowledge of the game. Each game takes between 2 and 4 hours, depending on how long it takes indidivuals to decide on their turn. This doesn't mean the game is boring though; far from it! The gameplay is interesting and even addictive, with none of us noticing how much time has passed while we've been playing. You can also never tell who has won the game until the final scoring happens, leading to some tense moments and unexpected winners. This also contributes to constantly wanting to go back for more, so you can improve on your previous score or try different approaches. Since owning the game, we have also bought 2 expansions; the "Preludes" expansion and the "Colonies" expansion. The Preludes expansion adds a huge amount to the game, and I view it as a necessity as it not only decreases play time (due to providing more resources) but also allows for more focused strategies; the Colonies expansion is also a great addition as it gives players more options within the game. Overall, Terraforming Mars is a brilliant board game which is well worth the money. Due to the plenty of combinations of cards and strategies, the game has endless replayability, and will make sure you never have a dull board games night again!

I've been playing this for a fair few months and every game is different. It's a little complicated at times, especially near the end but always great fun. So many strategies and it's more like three hours then two but it's never boring. Plays good solo, two players, three and four. People complain about the resource recording cards which are not great as it's easy to knock the markers off. I bought the wooden versions off the internet, not cheap but excellent quality. The Prelude expansion speeds things up at the start and gives you more corporation cards but is a bit overpriced. I bought the expansion which give you two other maps to play on, a double sided board, and this is really worthwhile as your strategies have to change. So to sum up. Great game with lots of replay and once you get into it, it's very addictive in a good way.

This game does require a bit of rule reading and YouTube watching on your 1st playthrough. But once you've played 1 game, the rules are really easy going forward. Games typically can go on for a few hours, but it's utterly engrossing, and you're always wanting 1 more turn. Great theme with fantastic board design and engineering aspects. There is so much replayability to this game.

For my board game, that persists of 5 family members and have gone through many of the usual German style resource management and zonal strategy game through the years, plus many other genres. This has become our end game. With one or 2 expansion the game has now reached a level where after 100s of games, every game is still unique. Perfect pacing, perfect level balance. The skill gap is perfectly balanced where the better players usually win but anyone in the group can still win and still enjoy games. Every player looks forward to a TM games night and that includes my 57 and 70yr old parents who are fully competent and competitive. It's actually been an amazing tool to keep in regular contact with my brother and his family and my parents, socialise, a few dricks and some classic brotherly British banter. The best board game ever created IMO.

Amazing game if you have the time to play it. I'm playing it with the full set of cards and each game is taking me around 4h. A few of things I did not like: 1 - all the cubes keep sliding around the resource card and you risk loosing track of what amount of resources you are supposed to get during the production stage. 2 - This is just a box with all the items loose inside it. There is no insert just a few bags with the items you use inside a box way to big for the stuff that it contains 3 - resource counters are made out of plastic covered in golden, silver and copper colour that are not uniform. some of these you can see the plastic underneath. These are the worse, they keep sliding and jumping of your fingers when you grab more than a couple at a time. I actually thought of replacing them with coins that are easier to handle as counters. I know there are a couple of organizers that help solving the box problem unfortunately all the interesting ones do not ship to the uk. One of the brands is available at amazon but out of stock for a couple of months now. Anyway... Loved it... Until the moment my girlfriend started beating me every time we play it (not bad for someone who hated games like these)... will play it over and over again... probably loose over and over again too, but I'll keep on trying new strategies

Amazing game!! Well worth every penny!! I have to mention first that my girlfriend and I haven't been any hardcore board gamers.. We only played Risk and Monopoly and stuff in the past.. I accidentally bumped into this one online and it really caught my eye. I went through quite a few reviews before buying it. and I have to say the price first did make me consider not buying it too but in the end I went for it and I'm so glad as it turned out to be one of the best purchases ever!! I was also worried that it might be too complicated and difficult to understand but actually it isn't. I would highly recommend tho to watch at least 2-3 tutorial and gameplay videos on YouTube as they really helped me to understand everything quicker. My girlfriend managed to understand it right from the beginning of the game (basically after the first 3-4 "generations").. She loved it so much that she didn't want to finish playing. Gameplay lasts usually for 2-3 hours. Some reviews say it lasts for too long and becomes boring.. It would only become boring if you expect battles and clashes with the others and etc.. This game is about none of that. It is an excellent mind game of lots of thinking and planning and working towards different strategies to become a stronger and more influental corporation in the game. Also I have to mention that it does help if someone is into space science or these kind of stuff at least a little bit like we were and then this game will be not just highly educational but very highly enjoyable as well over and over again!

Wanted this for years, finally got around to it, did not disappoint.

Terraforming Mars by Stronghold Games is hands down one of my favorite board games ever. If you’ve ever dreamed of managing resources, colonizing a planet, and pretending to be a space pioneer like Matt Damon in *The Martian*, then this game is your ticket to the Red Planet. First off, let’s talk about what makes this game so great. Imagine you’re a billionaire CEO tasked with turning Mars from a barren wasteland into a thriving paradise. Sounds easy, right? Well, not quite. You’ll need to juggle resources, manage heat and oxygen levels, and develop cities—all while dealing with the fact that you’re on a planet where literally nothing grows (sorry, no potatoes like Matt Damon). But that’s the thrill! The game makes you feel like you’re actually terraforming Mars, and every decision feels crucial. Terraforming Mars has a rich history. Released in 2016, it quickly shot to the top of board game charts, becoming a favorite among strategy gamers worldwide. Why? Because it combines deep strategic planning with an immersive theme. The game is beautifully designed with tons of cards, each representing a project that could help turn Mars into a second Earth. The beauty of it is in the variety—you can go for an aggressive strategy, aiming to choke out your opponents, or play the long game, slowly but surely transforming the planet into a habitable home. The real charm of Terraforming Mars is how it makes you feel like you’re on the cusp of something monumental. Every turn, you’re not just playing a game—you’re building a future for humanity, all while hoping your opponent’s oxygen strategy doesn’t ruin your perfect plan. It’s like being in *The Martian*, but with less potato farming and more brainpower. Terraforming Mars is successful because it’s not just a game; it’s an experience. It’s challenging enough to keep you on your toes but accessible enough that you don’t need a PhD in astrophysics to enjoy it. With its engaging mechanics, endless replayability, and the sheer joy of watching Mars slowly turn green under your careful guidance, it’s no wonder this game has become a modern classic. So if you’re ready to channel your inner space explorer, grab some friends (or go solo), and take a trip to Mars. Just remember, you’re there to terraform, not to grow potatoes. Leave that to Matt Damon.

Game is great! Quality of the delivery was very poor: boardgame box completely dented

Its a long game with complex rules, but quite fun, can be played solo but with friends can be much more fun and entertaining :)

Finally, getting one for home. Perfect for long rainy days.

Buscaba un juego con profundidad, y encontré una joya. Es genial tanto en multijugador como jugando tú solo. Algo que no se suele comentar es que es posible "hacer rol", e interpretar un papel con una estrategia, moral, etc según las cartas que te salen si quieres ponerte creativo. Tantos tokens, tantas cartas, estoy encantado. Lo recomiendo 100%

Se convirtió en mi juego de mesa favorito! Gran juego de gestión de recursos, muy buen material y una rejugabilidad maravillosa.