Photo: BCD Jeux, partner shopTabletop games
Terraforming Mars
Intrafin GamesJacob Fryxelius2016
- players
- 1–5
- minutes
- 120
- years
- 12+
In the box
1 Mars board · 208 Project cards · 17 Corporation cards · 5 Player boards · Ocean, Forest, City and special tiles · Resource cubes and markers
Official rules (PDF, publisher's site)
Box details
- Designer
- Jacob Fryxelius
- Artwork
- Isaac Fryxelius, Daniel Fryxelius
- Publisher
- Intrafin Games
- Mechanics
- DraftingObjectivesHand ManagementHexagon GridIncome
- Expansions
- Terraforming Mars: Prelude · 2018
- Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium · 2017
- Terraforming Mars: Venus Next · 2017
- Terraforming Mars: Colonies · 2018
- Terraforming Mars: Turmoil · 2019
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
Affiliate link: Marquoir may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The basics
Each player runs a corporation making Mars habitable by raising oxygen, temperature and oceans. Each generation, you buy project cards, then everyone takes one or two actions in turn (play a card, standard project, milestone, award, greenery) until they pass, before production. The game ends at the end of the generation in which all three parameters reach their target: terraform rating, milestones, awards, greeneries, cities and cards make the total, and the highest wins.
Checked against the official rules · September 2026
The rules, step by step
Setup
1 corporation kept, Cards at 3 megacredits, Terraform rating 20
- Each player receives two corporations and keeps one, then ten project cards: each card kept costs 3 megacredits, the rest are discarded. Beginners take a beginner corporation, which sets their starting capital.
- Each player places their marker at 20 on the terraform rating track, and a production of 1 in each resource.
- The nine oceans wait on the board; temperature and oxygen start at their minimum.
How to play
4 phases per generation, 1 or 2 actions per turn, Then production
- A generation runs through four phases: player order (the first player changes), research, actions, production. The first generation skips the first two.
- Research: everyone draws four cards and buys any they want, 3 megacredits each. There is no hand limit.
- Actions: in turn, each player takes one or two actions, or passes; a player who passes does not play again this generation.
- The possible actions: play a card, use a standard project, claim a milestone, fund an award, use the action of a blue card, convert 8 plants into a greenery, convert 8 heat into one step of temperature.
- A milestone costs 8 megacredits, and three at most can be claimed. Awards cost 8, then 14, then 20 megacredits, three at most.
- Production: remaining energy turns into heat, then everyone receives their resources; megacredits are worth the terraform rating plus production.
Scoring
Terraform rating, Milestone 5 points, Award 5 or 2
- Terraform rating, which forms the basis of the score: it goes up one step each time a global parameter is raised.
- Each milestone claimed: 5 points.
- Each award funded, whichever player paid for it: 5 points to the first in the category, 2 to the second (no second place with two players). Tied players all receive the points for their place; if there are several firsts, no second is rewarded.
- 1 point per greenery, and for each city 1 point per adjacent greenery, whoever owns it. Add the points on cards played.
End of the game
3 parameters reached, End of the generation, Highest total
- The game ends at the end of the generation in which all three parameters reach their target: 14% oxygen, +8 °C and nine oceans.
- After the last production, everyone may still, in turn order, convert their plants into greeneries. Then final scoring takes place.
- The highest total wins; on a tie, whoever has the most megacredits wins.
House rules and pitfalls
"Corporate Era" variant: add the cards marked with this logo, and start with no production.
- "Corporate Era" variant: add the cards marked with this logo, and start with no production.
- Draft variant: during research, pass the four cards around, keeping one each time, before choosing which to buy.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · Rules on video · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
The goal, in one sentence?
Make Mars habitable by raising three parameters — temperature, oxygen, oceans — to their maximum, while scoring the most victory points.
How do you score points?
Through your terraform rating (TR), milestones (5 points each) and awards (5 or 2 points), cities and greeneries placed, and the many project cards with points. The TR also serves as income each generation.
How does a generation work?
The first player changes, everyone buys new cards, you take one or two actions in turn until everyone passes, then collect your income. Generations follow one another until the end.
What are preludes and corporations?
Starting cards that give a direction and an initial boost. The corporation sets a starting capital and often a permanent power; preludes (expansion) speed up the start, which is often slow.
When does the game end?
As soon as all three global parameters are at their maximum — all oceans placed, oxygen and temperature at the top. The current generation is played to the end, then plants are converted and points counted.
Rules on video
Videos in French, hosted on YouTube.