Quick Answer: Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition is a 1–4 player card-driven engine builder (45–90 minutes, BGG weight ~2.5) where corporations compete to terraform Mars by raising Oxygen, Temperature, and Ocean levels. Each round, players secretly and simultaneously select one of five phase cards, then resolve those phases in order — the whole game runs on that elegant loop. Same universe as the original Terraforming Mars, but faster, tighter, and much friendlier to new players.
If you’ve been curious about how to play Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition but felt put off by the original game’s three-hour runtime and sprawling tile map, you’re in the right place. Ares Expedition strips away the overhead and delivers the same satisfying engine-building experience in half the time — sometimes less. No map, no tile placement, no milestones to memorize. Just cards, resources, and a genuinely clever phase-selection mechanic that keeps everyone engaged every single round.
How Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition Works
You’re running a corporation trying to make Mars habitable. Every card you play adds to your engine — generating resources, triggering combos, or nudging the global parameters that determine when the game ends. The three parameters are Oxygen (0% → 14%), Temperature (-30°C → +8°C), and Oceans (0 → 9 tiles placed). Max all three and the game ends. Most VP wins.
The Core Loop
Every round: pick one phase card secretly, reveal simultaneously, resolve whichever phases got selected (in numerical order), then set your used card aside. You can’t reuse it until you’ve cycled through all five. That’s the whole game. It sounds simple because it is — but the decisions inside that loop are anything but.
Components and Setup
What’s in the Box
- 233 Project Cards
- 12 Corporation Cards
- 5 Phase Cards per player (identical sets)
- 1 Game Board (Oxygen, Temperature, Ocean, and TR tracks)
- 4 Player Boards with production and resource tracks
- Resource cubes in copper (1), silver (5), and gold (10) denominations
- 9 Ocean Tiles, TR markers, parameter markers, first player marker
Component quality is solid mid-tier. The player boards are thick cardboard, the game board is readable, and the box is compact enough to toss in a bag. The cards aren’t linen-finished, so if you plan to play this regularly, sleeving is worth it. (Mayday Games Standard European Sleeves)
Setup
Place the board in the center. Set Oxygen to 0%, Temperature to -30°C, leave the Ocean spaces empty. Each player gets a player board, a full set of five phase cards, and a TR marker placed at 5 on the Terraform Rating track.
Deal each player two corporation cards — pick one, discard the other. Read both before choosing. Your corporation defines your starting resources, production levels, and special ability, and it shapes every decision you’ll make. After choosing, deal out starting project cards (exact number varies by corporation). Keep what you want and pay 3 MC per card kept. Set your starting resources and production as shown on your corporation card, and you’re ready.
The Five Phases: The Heart of Every Round
Every player has an identical hand of five phase cards. Each round you secretly pick one. All chosen cards flip simultaneously, and then every selected phase resolves — in order, 1 through 5. The player who selected a phase gets a bonus during it. That’s the tension. You’re not just choosing what you need — you’re deciding what to reveal about your strategy and whether to guarantee a bonus or piggyback on someone else’s pick.
Phase 1 – Development: Everyone may play one green (Automated) card. The selector plays two.
Phase 2 – Construction: Everyone may play one red (Active) or blue (Event) card. The selector plays two.
Phase 3 – Action: Everyone activates one blue card ability. The selector activates two.
Phase 4 – Production: Everyone collects resources based on their production tracks. The selector gains +2 MC on top of normal production.
Phase 5 – Research: Everyone draws 2 cards and keeps 1. The selector draws 4 and keeps 2.
The bonus only goes to the player who selected that phase — not everyone who participates. Easy to forget in your first game, and it matters a lot. If you need the extra card draw, you need to select Phase 5 yourself.
If nobody picks a phase, it simply doesn’t happen. No one picks Phase 3? No actions that round — for anyone. This comes up more than you’d expect early on.
Round Structure
Step 1 – Simultaneous Phase Selection: Everyone secretly picks one phase card and places it face-down.
Step 2 – Reveal: Flip simultaneously. Now everyone sees which phases are happening and who selected what.
Step 3 – Resolve in Order: Work through phases 1–5, skipping any that nobody selected. Everyone participates in each active phase; only the selector gets the bonus.
Step 4 – Cleanup: Your selected phase card goes face-down in a personal discard pile. You can’t reuse it until you’ve played all five. This soft rotation is what stops anyone from spamming Phase 5 every round.
How the Game Ends
The game ends at the end of the round in which all three global parameters are maxed — not immediately when the last one flips. Everyone finishes the round first, which can matter enormously for final card plays and last-minute TR gains.
VP comes from your TR track position, VP icons on played project cards, and certain card effects. Ties go to most MegaCredits. TR usually accounts for the biggest chunk of points, so players who ignore global parameters tend to lose even with impressive card engines.
Resources
MegaCredits (MC): Pays for everything. Prioritize production early.
Steel and Titanium: Discount resources. Steel gives 2 MC off per unit on Building tag cards; Titanium gives 3 MC off per unit on Space tag cards. These only apply to the matching tag — you can’t use Steel on a Space card. Misapplying this is probably the most common rules error at new player tables.
Plants: Spend 8 to place a Greenery tile, which raises Oxygen and gives +1 TR.
Energy: Unused Energy converts to Heat at the end of Phase 4.
Heat: Spend 13 to raise Temperature by 1 step and gain +1 TR.
Production vs. Stockpile: Your production track is what you earn each Phase 4. Your stockpile is what you currently have. When a card says “raise MC production by 2,” that’s permanent. “Gain 5 MC” is a one-time bump. New players routinely undervalue production-boosting cards — don’t make that mistake.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting the phase bonus. Put a token in front of the selector as a reminder until it’s habit.
- Misunderstanding phase card rotation. You cannot reuse a card until you’ve cycled through all five. Groups that miss this and let players spam the same phase every round completely break the game’s balance.
- Confusing production with stockpile. Spend your stockpile freely, but protect your production. Losing MC production hurts every single round afterward.
- Wrong discount application. Steel = Building tags only. Titanium = Space tags only. Check the tag in the upper right corner before applying any discount.
- Ignoring Ocean tiles. Each one raises your TR by 1. Players who place Oceans consistently often win the TR race without realizing it.
- Hoarding cards. Cards in hand score zero VP. If you’re selecting Research every round and sitting on twelve cards, you’re doing it wrong. Play cards.
Strategy Tips
Early game: Get to 10+ MC production by round 3. Everything else follows from that. Without money you can’t play cards, and without cards you have no engine.
Pick your corporation based on your hand. Before choosing a corporation, glance at your starting project cards. Several Space tag cards? A corporation that generates Titanium suddenly looks a lot better. The synergy between corporation and opening hand matters more than either one alone.
Mid game: Watch what phases opponents are selecting. Consistent Phase 1 and 2 picks mean someone’s playing lots of cards and probably building toward a parameter push. Blue Active cards are your best mid-game investment — they cost more upfront but pay off every round they sit on the table.
Late game: Count your VP before making moves. Ahead on TR but behind on card VP? Push parameters. Behind on TR? Play more cards and slow the game down. Selecting Phase 4 in the final round is almost always wasted — you won’t get to spend those resources.
Corporation Spotlight
- Helion: Can spend Heat as MC. Build Heat production aggressively and you’ll never be short on money.
- Inventrix: Starts with 3 Science tags already counted — unlocks Science synergies from turn one without playing a single card.
- Cheung Shing Mars: Earns MC every time TR increases. Play it like a parameter-raising machine; every Ocean and Oxygen step is income.
- Ecoline: Converts Plants to Greenery for 7 instead of 8. Stack Plant production and convert constantly for TR and end-game VP.
Ares Expedition vs. Similar Games
| Feature | Ares Expedition | Original TM |
|---|---|---|
| Play Time | 45–90 min | 120–180 min |
| BGG Weight | ~2.5 | ~3.25 |
| Map / Tile Placement | No | Yes |
| Milestones & Awards | No | Yes |
| Simultaneous Phase Selection | Yes | No |
| Best Player Count | 2–3 | 3–4 |
vs. Original Terraforming Mars: Choose the original if you want spatial strategy, milestones, awards, and a longer, deeper experience. Choose Ares Expedition if you want the same thematic feel in under 90 minutes with less downtime.
vs. Race for the Galaxy: Nearly identical role-selection structure, runs 30–45 minutes, arguably more elegant mechanically. But the iconography is notoriously brutal — it’s a game you have to learn before you can enjoy it. Ares Expedition is friendlier and more thematically satisfying for most groups.
vs. Ark Nova: Ark Nova (~3.7 BGG weight, 90–150 minutes) is genuinely excellent, but it’s a different tier of complexity. If you’re comfortable with heavy euros, it’s worth every minute. If you want accessible engine-building you can teach in 20 minutes, Ares Expedition is the call.
Ares Expedition is the best entry point for players who want the Terraforming Mars experience without the full commitment of the original. It’s also a legitimately great standalone game — not just a lighter substitute.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition take to play?
Most games run 45–90 minutes. Two-player games often finish closer to 45–60 minutes; a full four-player game might push 90. Solo mode runs around 30–45 minutes.
How many players is Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition?
The game supports 1–4 players. It plays well at 2 and 3. At 4 it’s still good, but 2–3 is the sweet spot.
What’s the difference between Terraforming Mars and Ares Expedition?
Ares Expedition replaces the original’s tile-placement map and standard turn order with simultaneous phase selection, cuts milestones and awards, and runs in roughly half the time. It’s a reimagining, not an expansion — same universe, different game.
Does Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition have a solo mode?
Yes, and it’s a full-featured variant, not an afterthought. You play against an automated opponent called the UNMI Corporation, which raises parameters on its own schedule. Solid solo experience, about 30–45 minutes. (Folded Space Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition Insert)
What are the five phases in Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition?
Development (play green Automated cards), Construction (play red Active or blue Event cards), Action (activate blue card abilities), Production (collect resources), and Research (draw and keep cards). Each round every player selects one phase secretly, and only the selected phases occur — with the selector earning a bonus during their chosen phase.
