Terraforming Mars
Modern strategy board game — players play corporations terraforming Mars by raising temperature (-30°C → +8°C), oxygen (0% → 14%), and creating oceans (0 → 9). Designed 2016 Jacob Fryxelius. FryxGames + Stronghold Games. 1-5 players, 90-180 min. Multiple award winner. Top BGG-ranked strategy game.
What is Terraforming Mars?
Terraforming Mars is 2016 STRATEGY BOARD GAME designed by JACOB FRYXELIUS + published by his family's FRYXGAMES (Sweden) + Stronghold Games (English). 1-5 players (best 3-4) play CORPORATIONS terraforming Mars in 2400s. GOAL: reach 3 TERRAFORMING PARAMETERS — TEMPERATURE (-30°C → +8°C, 19 steps), OXYGEN (0% → 14%, 14 steps), OCEANS (0 → 9 tiles). Game ends when all 3 completed. Winner: highest VICTORY POINTS from Terraforming Rating (TR) + owned cities + greenery + card VP + milestones + awards. GAMEPLAY: generation phases → players buy/play cards from 200+ project deck (representing tech, mining, biology, cities, etc.) → produce resources (money, steel, titanium, plants, energy, heat) → increase TR or place tiles on Mars board. 12 CORPORATIONS with unique abilities (Ecoline, Interplanetary Cinematics, Mining Guild, etc.). RECEIVED CRITICAL ACCLAIM — Golden Geek Awards, Kennerspiel des Jahres nomination, TOP 3 BGG rank for years. EXPANSIONS: Hellas & Elysium (new maps), Venus Next, Prelude, Colonies, Turmoil, Ares Expedition (streamlined version). Digital versions on Steam + mobile. Considered pinnacle of THEMATIC EUROGAME design.
Quick facts
Category
Board Games
Type
Team sport
Players
1–5
Duration
~120 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
Mars board + player mats
Country of origin
🇸🇪 Sweden
Estimated origin
Designed 2016 Jacob Fryxelius; published FryxGames (Swedish) + Stronghold Games (English); Ares Expedition 2021
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Score most Victory Points via Terraforming Rating (TR) + owned cities + greenery + milestones + awards + card VP.
Rules
Basic rules
Terraform 3 parameters to maximums
Temp -30°C → +8°C (19 steps), Oxygen 0% → 14%, Oceans 0 → 9.
Generation phases: production → research → action
Research: buy 4 cards @ 3MC each. Action: 2 actions per turn.
Actions: play project, take corp action, claim milestone, fund award
Alternating turns until all pass; production phase resets money.
Cards cost energy, MC (megacredits), steel, titanium
Different resource types = different discounts (steel for building; titanium for space).
Increase parameter → get +1 Terraforming Rating (TR)
TR = major VP source + baseline income per generation.
Game ends when all 3 parameters maxed
Winner: highest total VP (TR + cities + greenery + VP cards + milestones + awards).
Scoring
Total VP = Terraforming Rating + card VP + milestones + awards + cities (adjacent greeneries) + greeneries (1 VP each).
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Terraforming Rating | 1 VP per TR (typically 20-50) |
| Greenery tile | 1 VP each |
| City VP | 1 VP per adjacent greenery |
| Milestone claimed | 5 VP (3 available) |
| Award funded + won | 5 VP (1st) / 2 VP (2nd) |
| Card VP | Varies by card (0-5+ typical) |
Win condition · Highest total VP at game end.
Playing area
Called
Mars board + player mats
Dimensions
central hex-tile Mars board + individual production mats
Central Mars terrain hex board (61 spaces) + individual player boards tracking 6 resources + terraforming rating.
Equipment
Base game + 208 project cards + 12 corporation cards
€60 retail
Mars board + player boards (5)
Hex-tile Mars with pre-printed regions
6 resource production cubes per player
MC, steel, titanium, plants, energy, heat
Ocean tiles (9), city tiles, greenery tiles
Placed on Mars during game
Terraforming Rating (TR) markers
Tracked on outer edge of Mars board
Milestones + awards trackers
3 milestones (5 VP each), 3 awards (5/2/1 VP)
Optional: expansions (Prelude, Venus, Colonies, Turmoil)
€30-50 each
Strategies
Build production engine early
Generations 1-4: invest in steady MC/steel/titanium/heat production.
Corporation choice shapes strategy
Ecoline (plants), Mining Guild (steel), Interplanetary Cinematics (event cards), etc.
Milestones early advantage
Claim first (Terraformer @ 35 TR; Builder @ 8 tiles) for +5 VP.
Adjacent tile placement bonuses
Cities next to greenery = extra VP; oceans adjacent = MC bonus.
Balance TR vs card income
Both scale endgame — pure TR loses to combo builders.
Terminology
- TR (Terraforming Rating)
- Player's rating; +1 per parameter step increased; primary VP source.
- MC (Megacredits)
- Base currency.
- Generation
- One full round; ~12-14 per game.
- Milestones
- 3 objectives (5 VP each); first claimant only.
- Awards
- 3 awards funded during game (5/2 VP); winner determined at game end.
- Greenery
- Green tile; 1 VP + increases oxygen.
- Ocean tile
- 9 tiles placeable; grants +2 MC bonus when placed on ocean space.
- Tag
- Card category (space, event, science, plant, animal, city, jovian, Earth, energy).
Major competitions
Terraforming Mars World Championship (informal online)
annual · worldwide · since 2018
BGG rankings + Golden Geek Awards
annual · worldwide · since 2017
Where it is played
Governing bodies
FryxGames (publisher)
Founded 2016 · Sweden
Stronghold Games (English publisher)
Founded 2009 · USA
BoardGameGeek (community ranking)
Founded 2000 · USA
Official site ↗
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Jacob Fryxelius (Sweden) — Designer
- Fryxelius family (Isaac, Jonathan) — Development team
- Top BGA/online players: e.g., 'ForeverEternal', 'raihaan_snpk' — competitive scene
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Play digital version (Steam $10-30 or Board Game Arena free)
Excellent tutorial + AI opponents; learn systems risk-free.
- 2
Base game with 3 players (skip expansions initially)
60-min setup + 3-hour first game normal.
- 3
Master resource types + card tags
Steel = building tag discount; titanium = space tag discount.
intermediate
- 1
Add Prelude expansion (4 preview cards + faster start)
Best expansion; adds strategy without complexity.
- 2
Try corporations beyond starter
Each corp shifts strategy dramatically.
- 3
Study milestone + award timing
Meta-game centers on claiming + funding.
advanced
- 1
Add Colonies + Venus expansions
Full complexity; 4-hour games.
- 2
Competitive online play (BGA, TfM website)
Ranked play + tournaments.
Frequently asked
What is Terraforming Mars?+
STRATEGY BOARD GAME (2016) designed by JACOB FRYXELIUS — 1-5 players play CORPORATIONS terraforming Mars. Goal: reach 3 TERRAFORMING PARAMETERS: TEMPERATURE (-30°C → +8°C), OXYGEN (0% → 14%), OCEANS (0 → 9). Play cards to build engines producing 6 resources (money, steel, titanium, plants, energy, heat). Winner = highest Victory Points from TR + tiles + card VP + milestones + awards. 90-180 min. Top-rated hobby game on BoardGameGeek (Top 5 ranked). Considered pinnacle THEMATIC EUROGAME design.
How long does Terraforming Mars take?+
90-180 MINUTES typical (avg 2-3 hours). Factors: PLAYER COUNT (3-4 players optimal ~2h; 5 players 3h+), EXPERIENCE (first game 3h+; experienced 90 min), EXPANSIONS (Colonies + Turmoil add 30-60 min), ANALYSIS PARALYSIS (AP-prone players extend significantly). SETUP: 15-20 min first time. ARES EXPEDITION variant (2021) is streamlined 45-60 min alternative. Digital play (Steam/BGA) 30-90 min due to no card handling.
What expansions should I buy?+
RECOMMENDED ORDER: (1) PRELUDE ($30) — universally beloved; adds faster start + 5 more corps. Buy first. (2) HELLAS & ELYSIUM ($20) — alternate Mars maps for variety. (3) VENUS NEXT ($30) — adds 4th parameter (Venus) + Venus cards. Divisive — some love, some feel bloat. (4) COLONIES ($40) — 5 off-world colonies for trading; excellent. (5) TURMOIL ($40) — political parties affecting game state; complex + polarizing. Most players stop at Prelude + Hellas. Ares Expedition ($40) is STANDALONE simplified version (not expansion).
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Terraforming Mars— Wikipedia
- BoardGameGeek — Terraforming Mars— BGG