If you're looking for a really deep board game - this should be your next purchase. I had heard good things about the game from a few people, and it had good reviews on board game geek, so I decided to give it a shot.
BUILD QUALITY
When it comes to the quality of the pieces and board, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The board itself is perfectly fine. Can't complain. For the player pieces and the currency pieces, these are actually quite nice! They're little colored cubes - some are translucent, others are a little shiny. I'm actually a fan of the pieces.
My biggest complaint with the build quality, however, is the player sheet every player gets. This is where you track your "production" and your resources throughout the game. For starters, this sheet is a little confusing. My bigger complaint here, though, is that a portion of this sheet is dedicated to show how much of a given resource you earn every round. To indicate this, you put one of your colored player pieces on the designated number. The problem, though, is that the slightest of bumps on this sheet can slide the pieces around, meaning you can turn your production from a 3 to a 4, which can have a pretty big impact. I would have loved to have seen a physical slider piece, or little slots to hold the pieces.
This complaint is not a HUGE deal, but probably my biggest concern with the build quality.
INSTRUCTIONS
I have to admit, when you first look at the instruction manual, it's pretty overwhelming. There are about 20 very dense pages of instructions to read through which walk through the mechanics of the game. It took myself and 4 other people about 2 hours to digest the instructions. We found ourselves referring to this manual often over the course of the game. The manual isn't the best organized, so answering a specific question about the game can often be trying to find a needle in a haystack. Further, the wording in the manual is often a little bit confusing and tricky to understand.
One aspect of the instructions that I like is that they have a "beginner" version, which is recommended for the first time you play. Essentially, this gives every player the same "corporation", which removes some of the variability but makes it a bit easier to learn the mechanics of the game.
MECHANICS
This is where the game really shines. While there is definitely a learning curve to this game, it offers so much variability in the way you play the game. There are numerous way to increase your "Terraform Rating" (aka, your score), and these actions you take ultimately progress the game in a super natural way.
There is no designated number of turns that this game will last. There's no timer. There's no countdown. Instead, you are progressing towards making Mars into a "viable planet" to live on. You do this by increasing temperature of the planet, increasing the number of oceans, and increasing the percentage of Oxygen. The actions you take throughout the game may do any of these 3 things, either directly or indirectly. Sometimes, there are even moments where by increasing the temperature you increase the Oxygen level.
Another really interesting aspect is the concept of a "generation". A generation is more or less a round of the game. Within each generation, every players takes turns. Each turn consists of up to 2 actions per player. Players continue going in a circle taking their actions until they have no further actions that they want to take, and they "pass". Once every player passes, the generation is complete.
One dynamic I noticed is that the early generations of the game take quite awhile. People are figuring out their strategy, and are building the economy. However as the game progresses, the generations start to move very quickly and the game's resources start to increase at a must faster rate.
Overall, the game probably took at least 2 hours to play.
REPLAYABILITY
What made this game so interesting, was the 2nd time I played. The first time was certainly fun, but was generally learning the mechanics and the basic strategies. For the 2nd time playing, though, we understood the main goals, but more importantly, we used the more advanced corporations. These corporations offer even more variation and customization about how you want to win the game.
This type of strategizing is what really sold me on this game.
CONCLUSION
Ultimately, this game is quite complicated with a hefty instruction manual and a steep learning curve. But with the endless possibilities of how you want to play the game, the level of strategizing really outweighs the upfront cost, making this a really rewarding game to learn and to play.
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Unboxing Hellas & Elysium - My initial thoughts
Morgan Cook
Reviews with images
An amazing speculative eurogame that can be played solo
Mars was successfully terraformed on my last turn - what a relief! Around turns 8 or 9, I couldn't have imagined reaching the goal by turn 12, but I'm so glad I persisted. The exponential growth in the final phase of an engine-building game is always a thrill.For an exceptional solo experience, I highly recommend the Prelude expansion.The rules are straightforward and easy to grasp in your first session. With its high replayability, the game stands out as a true gem. It offers a fantastic combination of Eurogame mechanics for those seeking a strategic challenge: resource management, economic engine building, hand management, and variable player powers, all seamlessly integrated into a cohesive and engaging experience. A masterpiece of game design.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2018
Style: Terraforming Mars (Full Game)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2020
Style: Terraforming Mars (Full Game)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2024
Style: Terraforming Mars (Full Game)Verified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Cliente de Amazon
Adición inecesaria pero divertida
Reviewed in Mexico on September 28, 2023Style: Colonies (Expansion)Verified Purchase
Carlos
Grandioso juego
Reviewed in Mexico on December 10, 2021Style: Terraforming Mars (Full Game)Verified Purchase
Ernesto Sánchez
Gran complemento
Reviewed in Mexico on November 18, 2021Style: Big Box (Deluxe Components & Storage)Verified Purchase
CThomas
Storage Box
Reviewed in Canada on October 21, 2021Style: Big Box (Deluxe Components & Storage)Verified Purchase
Demian Rendon Rubio
Great addition! thought the packaging would be a box
Reviewed in Mexico on September 16, 2021Style: Hellas & Elysium (Expansion)Verified Purchase
