Board game guide
Terraforming Mars
Build a corporation on a changing planet.
Terraforming Mars is a long strategic arc: cards become infrastructure, infrastructure creates production and production reshapes the planet. Everyone advances the same three global goals while building a distinct scoring engine.
- Players
- 1–5
- Time
- 90–120 min
- Experience
- Experienced strategy
- Track
- Final points
How to play
Give the table a clear rhythm.
Use this as a quick first-game guide, then keep the official rules close for edge cases and exact details.
Choose corporations and projects
Give each player a corporation, project cards and starting resources. Players keep and pay for the project cards they want before the first generation begins.
Research the next generation
At the start of each later generation, draw four project cards and pay to keep any that fit your plan. Unkept cards are discarded.
Take one or two actions
In turn order, play project cards, use standard projects, claim milestones, fund awards, convert plants or heat, or activate blue-card actions.
Pass, then produce
Once you pass, you take no more actions that generation. After everyone passes, convert energy to heat and gain resources according to production.
Complete Mars and score
The final generation ends when oxygen, oceans and temperature are all complete. Add Terraform Rating, map tiles, awards, milestones and card points; the highest total wins.
Before the first turn
Set up for a smooth start.
- For a first game, use Beginner Corporations and omit the Corporate Era cards.
- Separate project cards, corporations, reference cards and player markers.
- Set oxygen, temperature, oceans and generation markers to their starting positions.
- Explain that Terraform Rating is both income and points before play begins.
Make it a season
Turn one planet into a full campaign.
Record total points and placement, then rotate first player and corporations. Across a season, track wins alongside the highest Terraform Rating or strongest single final score.
Create your season- Result
- Final points + placement
- Season points
- 5 / 3 / 2 / 1
- Rotation
- New corporation
- Highlight
- Highest single score