Terraforming Mars

Description

--- **Terraforming Mars** is an engine-building strategy game where corporations cooperatively terraform Mars while competing for victory points through projects, infrastructure, and achievements. Key mechanics include: - *Project cards*: Acquire from over 200 unique cards via research phase; play for bonuses, resource production boosts, and terraforming advances when requirements met. - *Resource management*: Track six resources (MegaCredits, Steel, Titanium, Plants, Energy, Heat) and production on player boards; income based on Terraform Rating boosted by production. - *Terraforming actions*: Raise temperature, oxygen, ocean coverage via cards, Standard Projects, plant/heat conversions, and tile placements (cities, oceans, greenery). - *Competitive elements*: Vie for optimal board tile spots, claim Milestones, fund Awards for substantial VPs. - *Generation phases*: (1) Player order shifts; (2) Research: buy from four private cards; (3) Action: 1-2 turns of playing cards/projects, claiming/funding, conversions until all pass; (4) Production: gain resources. - *Standard Projects*: Always available as action options. - *Victory conditions*: Game ends after generation when all three global parameters (temperature, oxygen, oceans) reach targets; total Terraform Rating plus other VPs determines winner. Terraforming Mars is a competitive board game set in the 2400s, where players control corporations sponsored by Earth's World Government to terraform Mars by raising temperature, oxygen, and ocean coverage to habitability. While cooperating on global terraforming, players compete for victory points from contributions, advancing solar system infrastructure, and other achievements. Players buy unique project cards during research phases, balancing costs against playing them for immediate effects, production increases, or parameter-dependent activations; Standard Projects provide reliable alternatives. Resource production and income tie to Terraform Rating, with six resource types managed on personal boards. Competition occurs on the game board for prime city, ocean, and greenery tile placements, plus Milestones and Awards. Each generation cycles through player order adjustment, card acquisition, extended action turns (playing cards, claiming/funding, conversions, card actions), and resource production. The game concludes post-generation when all three parameters are maximized, crowning the highest-scoring corporation via combined Terraform Rating and ancillary VPs. ---