Terraforming Mars

What you need

• Terraforming Mars base game: Mars board, 208 project cards, 12 corporation cards, 5 player boards, resource cubes (M€/steel/titanium/plants/energy/heat), ocean tiles, greenery tiles, city tiles, TR track markers, global parameter markers

Setup

1. Place the Mars board. Set the temperature marker at −30°C, oxygen at 0%, and place 0 ocean tiles.
2. Set the Generation marker at 1 and the Terraform Rating (TR) marker at 20 for each player.
3. Deal 2 corporation cards + 10 project cards to each player. Choose 1 corporation, then decide which of the 10 project cards to buy (3 M€ each — pay from starting funds).
4. Each player receives starting M€ and resource production based on their chosen corporation.

How to play

1. OBJECTIVE: Score the highest Victory Points at game end. Points come from your Terraform Rating (TR), points on played cards, cities and adjacent greeneries, and milestones/awards you claimed.
2. GAME END: The game ends at the end of the generation in which ALL THREE global parameters max out: temperature = +8°C, oxygen = 14%, and 9 ocean tiles placed.
3. GENERATION STRUCTURE: (1) Player order shifts left, (2) Research phase — each player buys 0-4 of 4 drawn cards at 3 M€ each, (3) Action phase — take turns doing 1-2 actions until all pass, (4) Production phase — resources produced per your production tracks (energy converts to heat), (5) End generation — reset action markers.
4. ACTION PHASE — Each turn take 1 OR 2 actions from: PLAY A CARD (pay its M€ cost, meet its requirements, resolve effects), USE A BLUE CARD ACTION (once per generation per card), USE A STANDARD PROJECT (sell patents / power plant / asteroid / aquifer / greenery / city — fixed costs), CLAIM A MILESTONE (5 M€, must meet criteria, only 3 available), FUND AN AWARD (8/14/20 M€ for the 1st/2nd/3rd award, scored at end), CONVERT PLANTS to greenery (8 plants), CONVERT HEAT to temperature (8 heat).
5. PROJECT CARDS: Green cards trigger once when played (immediate effect). Blue cards give ongoing/triggered abilities. Red event cards trigger once then are archived (still score VP).
6. TERRAFORMING: Raising temperature/oxygen/placing oceans grants +1 TR each (raise it just once per bump). TR gives 1 M€ income per point per generation AND 1 VP per point at game end.
7. TILE PLACEMENT: Oceans go on ocean-only hexes. Cities can't be next to other cities. Greeneries must be placed adjacent to another of YOUR tiles when possible. Placing on a hex with a bonus (steel/titanium/plant/card icon) grants that bonus immediately.
8. ADJACENCY BONUSES: Every ocean adjacent to any tile you place gives you 2 M€.
9. MILESTONES vs AWARDS: Milestones (5 M€) score 5 VP for the claimer, capped at 3 total. Awards (8/14/20 M€) score 5/2/0 VP for 1st/2nd/3rd place; up to 3 awards funded.
10. GAME END SCORING: TR + card VP + 1 VP per city × adjacent greeneries + 1 VP per greenery you own + milestone/award VPs.

Host tips

• Strategy board game — read the rulebook once before hosting.
• Use the in-app Scorekeeper to track running totals.
• Tap 'Ask AI Judge' if a rules dispute comes up.

Snack & drink pairings

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