Can we terraform Mars? What do you need we need to do? Play this board game adaptation and tame the Red Planet.
[su_list icon=”icon: info-circle “]
- Developer: Luckyhammers
- Publisher: Asmodee Digital
- Genre: Strategy Games
- Release Date: Q2 2018
- Platforms: PC, Mobile
- Reviewed on: PC
- Game Supplied by: Little Big PR
[/su_list]
[su_accordion]
[su_spoiler title=”About” style=”fancy”]
Asmodee Digital, the industry leader in digital board game entertainment, announced today they are bringing Fryxgames’ award-winning strategy board game, Terraforming Mars, to Steam (PC), Google Play, and the Apple App Store. Developed by LUCKYHAMMERS, the digital edition of Terraforming Mars will launch into Early Access in May and full launch happening later in Q2 of this year.
Faithfully developed alongside the game’s original creator, Jacob Fryxelius, the digital edition of Terraforming Mars is a true adaptation of the cult classic board game. Each player competes as a powerful corporation tasked with terraforming the Red Planet. Players create oceans, plant forests, import resources from Earth, and more in an effort to make Mars habitable for human life. Mars may be an unforgiving planet, but the real enemies are the competing organizations who will stop at nothing to claim Mars for themselves by sabotaging resources, crashing asteroids into fields, and wreaking havoc on mission-critical systems.
Players can compete across several game modes, including two unique single-player modes where the player can play solo (just like the board game) or against AI controlled opponents, pass-and-play local multiplayer, and +online multiplayer in intense turn-based strategic gameplay.
“Terraforming Mars captured our imagination the moment we laid our eyes on it. Not only is it the most demanded and highest rated board game since its launch in 2016, it’s a far-out trip to Mars!” says Philippe Dao, Chief Marketing Officer of Asmodee Digital. “We’re thrilled to work alongside Fryxgames in bringing their masterpiece to life for digital audiences.”
The physical edition of Terraforming Mars launched in 2016 and became an instant cult classic among board game enthusiasts. The game was named one of the best 50 games of 2016 by Popular Mechanics, ars technica listed the game as one of its 20 best games of 2016, and Vulture called it “the best high strategy game of 2016.”
[/su_spoiler]
[/su_accordion]
I’m not typically a card turn based gamer but my interest in outer space and strategy games had my interest spiked on this one. Essentially ported from the 2016 board game also named Terraforming Mars by Jacob Fryxelius this turn based card strategy game is very in depth and can have you playing for hours like any good board game should.
Currently only at pre alpha development there is still lots to be added to the game it’s early signs are promising.
The vague concept and I don’t want to fry your brains with the intricacies this early on (watch his youtube videos to understand those Isacc Fyyxelius You Tube Channel) is to increase production of steel, plants, energy, titanium and heat by playing your cards and developing the surface of mars with water, vegetation and structures.
Simple although it may sound, the depth each card can have on it from other game aspects like events where you place a certain card type and get a reward or boost on one of your productions, tags accumulate your cards played allowing progression of higher player cards where rewards are greater, actions card where you can swap say heat for energy resources and victory points let alone your terraforming points, make this a challenging and very strategic game to outwit your opponents.
Gameplay reveal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn94JZxWPMg
Unfortunately as the game is still in its early stages certain elements are expectedly missing like the tutorial but with a couple of the videos on the channel linked above you will be able to grasp the gameplay easy enough and devel into some challenging gameplay.
Whilst visually it’s as good as it needs to be however who would complain about higher resolution graphics and more detail on the board the sound is very annoying. Perhaps it’s just the hours i was listening to it but it needs breaking up a bit with more than just the odd sound effect, some voice over and additional interaction would certainly make it more interesting however as i expect most will only be practicing against Ai for the ultimate challenge online vs other like minded gamers it can certainly be forgiven at this stage.
Currently you can only play against 1 Ai player but with up to 5 players online it’s going to be much harder than my first couple of games that were slow to begin with but as my resources grew I found myself wiping the floor with my Ai counterpart very quickly.
Features:
- The official adaptation of the cult board game, faithfully developed with the help of the author
- Turn-based strategy: choose a specialized corporation, build facilities, research innovative technologies and manage your resources productions
- Life on Mars? Improve the conditions on the Red Planet by warming up the planet to melt the ice and create oceans, planting oxygen-producing flora and introducing small and big animals.
- Corporation rivalry: it’s a nice forest you’ve planted there – wouldn’t it be a shame if a large asteroid was steered to crash right on it?
- Mars for all: play solo or multiplayer games against local or online opponents, humans or AI
- More to terraform: additional content coming after launch
Whilst the release date is currently unknown but slated for later in Q2 I am looking forward to a better knowledge of starting out and trying the different starting corporations that can shape your gameplay with their varied starting credits and perks, If the physical board game is anything to go by this should be a huge hit and offer hours upon hours of gameplay.
SUMMARY
Extremely in depth game with lots to learn and plenty of different approaches to gain victory, as more features and game dynamics become available till launch I expect this to keep gaining momentum.
Looking forward to the release to give the game a full review.
Leave a Reply