Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition
Terraforming Mars boiled down to a card game where everyone picks phases at the same moment.
What it is
A shorter cousin of Terraforming Mars for 1 to 4 people. Each round everyone secretly picks one of five phases, a trick reviewers compare to Race for the Galaxy. Red, blue and green project cards push temperature, oxygen and oceans to the finish. Good for anyone who likes the big game but not the evening it takes.
What we love
- You cannot pick the same phase twice in a row, so your plan has to keep moving.
- More than 200 project cards, with each colour doing its own job.
- Plays solo, and there is a cooperative mode for two.
Honest trade-offs
- There is no map of Mars to fight over, only three tracks on a board.
- Editions differ: the Kickstarter version holds more cards and nicer parts than the Target edition.
- Six players needs the Foundations expansion.
AI summary of player sentiment
Across the tables we polled, players consistently praise the game's approachability and pacing. The most common complaint is there is no map of mars to fight over, only three tracks on a board..
This summary is regenerated from new reviews each week. Astra will wire the generation job to the Vercel Cron detailed in the handoff doc.
Content advisory
No content advisory.
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