Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition
- Players
- 1-4
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 60 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 14+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.9 / 5
- Year
- 2021
About the game
Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition condenses the beloved Terraforming Mars experience into a faster card-based format, where players control corporations investing megacredits into project cards to raise oxygen, temperature, and ocean levels on Mars. Each round, players select one of five phases, meaning every round unfolds differently, and simultaneous play across phases keeps the game moving briskly. Your terraform rating drives both income and end-game victory points, layered with additional points from constructed cards and special actions. It's a leaner, quicker way to enjoy the terraforming race for one to four players.
Hobbli's Notes
Ares Expedition succeeds at trimming Terraforming Mars' famous downtime by having players act simultaneously within each phase, which is a huge quality-of-life improvement over the original board game. The variable phase selection each round keeps strategic planning interesting, since you never know exactly which phases will be available. It retains a fair amount of the original's card-based complexity, so it's not exactly a light filler, but for fans of the franchise it's an excellent standalone card game.
What we like
- Simultaneous phase actions dramatically reduce downtime.
- Variable phase selection keeps each round strategically distinct.
- Faster and more portable than the original Terraforming Mars board game.
- Strong card-based engine building with satisfying long-term payoff.
- Solid solo mode for one-player games.
Keep in mind
- Still carries meaningful rules overhead for newcomers to the franchise.
- Card text variety can slow down early plays while learning combos.
- Some fans of the original board game may miss its tile-laying and board tactility.
Who it's for
Good for strategy gamers ages 14 and up, including solo players, who enjoy engine-building space themes without the longer original game's runtime.
