Terraforming Mars, the famous strategic board game created by Jacob Fryxelius, immerses you in the colonization and transformation of the red planet. Since its release in 2016, the game has won over thousands of players around the world thanks to its depth and immersive mechanics. To go further, several expansions have been released, each adding unique and varied elements. Here is an overview of these expansions to help you choose the ones that will best enrich your games.
Hellas & Elysium (2017)
This first expansion offers two new boards representing different regions of Mars:
Hellas, with its polar zones and its volcanic crater.
Elysium, a milder equatorial region with extinct volcanoes.
Each board offers new objectives and rewards, renewing the strategies.
Ideal for: players who want to vary the playing fields without changing the basic mechanics.
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Venus Next (2017)
This expansion introduces a new ambitious goal: the terraforming of Venus. It adds:
A secondary board dedicated to Venus.
New Project cards and a resource, the “float”.
A new corporation and an alternative end-game condition.
Best for: Those who want even more cards and new strategies.
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Prelude (2018)
Prelude speeds up the early game by adding specific cards that define your first projects and bonuses. It’s a lightweight but highly appreciated expansion to boost the early phases.
Best for: Players who want to shorten games while maintaining maximum control.
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Colonies (2018)
In Colonies, exploration extends beyond Mars with colonies set up in the solar system. This expansion adds: “Colony” boards to visit to trade or produce resources. A new mechanic to diversify strategies. Best for: players who enjoy exploring and optimizing resource exchanges.
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Turmoil (2019)
Turmoil introduces a political aspect to the management of Mars:
A council composed of player representatives influences laws and events.
New challenges disrupt the usual strategies.
Ideal for: those looking for an even more competitive and interactive dimension.
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Big Box and cards (2020)
The Big Box offers a stylish storage solution and includes 3D tiles to enhance your games. Additional card packs (like Promo Packs) add even more variety.
Best for: Collectors and regular players who want to enhance the visual aspect.
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Prélude 2 (2024)
Prelude 2 is the sixth expansion for Terraforming Mars. It builds on the concept of the original Prelude expansion by introducing new cards that speed up the start of the game. This expansion is distinguished by:
Integration of other expansions: The new Prelude and Project cards take into account the specificities of the Venus, Colonies and Turmoil expansions, thus offering new combinations and even more dynamic terraforming.
Compatibility: Although designed to interact with the other expansions, a majority of the content of Prelude 2 remains compatible with the base game alone, making additional expansions optional.
New elements: The expansion includes 5 new corporations, 25 Prelude cards and 24 Project cards, thus enriching the strategic possibilities.
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Terraforming Mars : Automa (2024)
The Automa expansion introduces an enhanced single-player mode for Terraforming Mars, allowing players to compete against a sophisticated artificial intelligence. This expansion offers:
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Terraforming Mars: Utopia & Cimmeria (2024)
Terraforming Mars: Utopia & Cimmeria is an expansion for the Terraforming Mars board game, introducing two new double-sided boards that enrich the game experience by offering new regions of the red planet.
Utopia Planitia: A lava plain located northwest of Elysium, part of the Northern Lowlands. It is the largest known impact crater in the solar system. Mineral-rich lava can be transformed into fertile soil, offering many planting bonuses far from the equator. To the south, it borders the Great Escarpment along the Southern Highlands. The thin crust near the North Pole is ideal for the installation of geothermal power plants. In addition, prestigious landing sites such as Viking 2 or Beagle 2 offer additional cards when colonizing them. Please note that this map does not feature volcanoes or the Noctis region, allowing you to place tiles from the “Noctis City” cards and those related to volcanic areas without specific restrictions.
Terra Cimmeria: A region characterized by its highlands and numerous craters, offering unique challenges for terraforming. Players will have to adapt their strategies according to the geographical particularities of this area.
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Terraforming Mars: Amazonis & Vastitas (2024)
Terraforming Mars: Amazonis & Vastitas is an expansion to the Terraforming Mars board game, introducing two new double-sided boards that enrich the game experience by introducing new regions of the Red Planet.
Amazonis Planitia: This map is named after the lava plains located west of the mighty Olympus Mons. This area is characterized by energy bonuses and is extremely flat and smooth compared to the mountains and craters that cover much of Mars. This larger board features expanded global parameters for a better 4-5 player game experience. You will also find wild resource bonuses that grant you any standard resource. Delegate bonuses allow you to place delegates for free from the supply (ignore if you are not playing with the Turmoil expansion).
Vastitas Borealis: This map focuses on the North Pole, which is mostly water ice. Additionally, there is a layer of frozen carbon dioxide that is released when you place a tile, increasing the temperature by a notch, but costing you €4 million.
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Which extension to choose?
For new players, Prelude and Prelude 2 are excellent starting points to enrich your games without making the rules heavier. More experienced players will appreciate the depth of Turmoil and the strategic variety of Colonies. Finally, if you want to diversify your boards, Hellas & Elysium and Amazonis & Vastitas are essential.
And you, what is your favorite expansion? Don’t hesitate to consult our buying guides on www.mr-boardgames.com to find the one that best suits your desires!
