How to Play On Mars | Rules & Setup Guide

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Position the game board

Place the board in the center of the table, with the left side representing the Orbital Space Station and the right side representing the Colony on Mars

Prepare Discovery tiles

Shuffle Discovery tiles face-down in a pile, then flip 2 face-up onto the Exploration Space

Stock the Warehouse

Place 3 units each of Crystals, Batteries, Water, Plants, and Oxygen in the Warehouse spaces (2 each for 2-player games)

Set up Technology tiles

Separate tiles by back color, set aside Shelter tiles for each player color, shuffle one set and place randomly face-up on the Technology Grid, place remaining 8 tiles face-down in two piles nearby (use only one set for 2 players)

Prepare Project cards

Separate into Level 1 and Level 3 decks, shuffle each, stack Level 1 on top of Level 3, place 6 cards face-up in a row along the left side of the board

Position Scientists board

Place the Scientists and Earth Contracts Board to the right of the main board with 6 Scientist cards in order (Geologist, R&D Engineer, Hydrologist, Biochemist, Geochemist, Systems Engineer), place matching Scientist meeples on their cards

Prepare Earth Contracts

Place Earth Contract cards face-down on the Scientists board without shuffling

Place starting Building tile

Position the initial Building tile (dark "S" back) in the indicated center space

Distribute starting Buildings

Place remaining starting Building tiles (4-color "S" back) randomly on indicated hexes with matching orientation

Organize Building tiles

Place the Building Tile Holder near Scientist cards, separate remaining Building tiles by type, shuffle each pile, place face-down in corresponding spaces

Position Research tiles

Separate Research tiles by type (color and letter), place on indicated hexes keeping same types together in each corner

Select Mission cards

Divide into long (solid red back) and short (half background) decks, shuffle each, choose 2 short + 1 long for short game or 1 short + 2 long for long game, place face-up on indicated spaces with corresponding Mission meeples nearby

Place Mission tracking cubes

Position a Mission Tracking Cube near each Mission card based on player count

Set Remaining Missions cube

Place on space 3 of the Mission Track

Create general supply

Place all Crystals and resources beside the main board

Configure Life Support System

Place Colony Level marker on left side of second row, place LSS Tracking markers in appropriate bottom row spaces, shuffle LSS Reward tiles and place 4 face-up in top spaces

Distribute player boards

Each player takes a Player Board in their chosen color

Take Turn marker

Each player receives their Turn marker

Position OP marker

Place on 0 of the OP track

Collect starting resources

Take 1 of each of the 5 resource types and place in corresponding Storage spaces

Receive starting Crystal

Place 1 Crystal in your Vault

Place Shelter Technology

Position your Shelter Technology tile in the center space of the second column in your Laboratory

Position Shuttles

Place 5 Shuttles on the first 5 top-left spaces of your Vault

Set up Shelter tiles

Place 4 Shelter Building tiles on their positions on the right side of your Player Board, place 1 with building side up on a starting shelter position based on player count

Deploy initial Robot

Place 3 Robots beside your Player Board and 1 on your Shelter on the main board

Prepare Advanced Building markers

Place 8 Advanced Building markers beside your Player Board

Organize Colonists

Place 3 Colonists in Housing and 9 beside your Player Board

Set aside Rover

Place your Rover beside your Player Board

Position Progress Cubes

Place 1 cube under each of the 5 Resources on your board

Deal Private Objective cards

Shuffle the deck, deal 3 to each player secretly, return remainder to box

Determine first player

The player who has watched "The Martian" most times goes first

Select Turn Order positions

In clockwise order from first player, each player places their Turn marker on an empty Turn Order space (1-8) and receives that space's benefit

Position the Shuttle

The player with the highest Turn Order number places the Shuttle on either red Travel Space (number 1) on the Colony or Orbit side

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Execute one Main Action

You must perform one Main Action from those available on your side of the board (Orbit or Colony)

Optional Executive Action

Before or after your Main Action, you may perform one Executive Action

Earn Mission Crystals

When contributing to any Mission card, gain 1 or 2 Crystals as shown on the card

Lay down Turn marker

When your turn is complete, lay down your Turn marker to indicate you've finished

Landing Pod action

Travel to the Colony by following Shuttle Phase travel rules but skip placing a Discovery tile, then lay down your Turn marker

Get Projects action

Take 1 Project card from those available, place it face-up near your Player Board, gain the Resource or Crystal shown bottom-right, place an unused Advanced Building marker on the card

Learn New Technologies action

Take 1 Technology tile from the Technology Grid and place it on an empty space in the leftmost column of your Laboratory

Research & Development action

Develop Technology tiles on your Player Board by moving them rightward

Use Technology

When executing an Action or gaining a benefit, use any player's related Technology tile to enhance the effect based on its level

Resupply action

Take 1 Resource or 1 Crystal from the Warehouse and place it in your Vault/Storage

Control Center action

Move your Robots and Rover using Movement Points

Build a Building action

Add a new Building to Mars

Upgrade a Building action

Use a Project card to upgrade a Building to an Advanced Building

Welcome a Shuttle action

Move 1 Private Shuttle from your Vault to your Hangar by paying 1 Plant and 1 Water

Hire a Scientist or Take an Earth Contract action

Take a card from the Scientists and Earth Contracts Board

Blue Colonist icon

Indicates Colonists can be moved to Work Area to boost the action's power; they return to Housing at end of round if you travel

Crystal icon

Indicates the action can be boosted by spending Crystals

Red Colonist icon

Indicates you must place a Colonist from Housing into an action slot to perform the action

Trigger upgrade

When all LSS Tracking markers advance onto the row with the Colony Level marker, upgrade occurs at end of your turn

Move Colony Level marker

Shift it up one row

Refresh Project cards

At Level 2, remove remaining cards and replace with next 12 from deck; at Level 3, remove Level 1 cards and replace with remaining 6 Level 3 cards

Refill Technology Grid

Fill empty spaces with new Technology tiles from bottom to top (skip in 2-player games)

Restock Warehouse

Fill with Crystals and Resources until 3 of each (2 each in 2-player games)

Score Progress Area

Each player earns 1/2/4/7/11 OP for having 1/2/3/4/5 Cubes in the Progress Area

Advance Remaining Missions

If Colony Level is 3+, move the Remaining Missions Cube one space right; if already on space 1, trigger end game

Track Building construction

Move LSS Tracking marker up 1 space when placing corresponding Building type

First Building bonus

Score 2 OP when building first of each LSS Building type

LSS Reward

When advancing a marker from below the Colony Level row to on or above it, gain OP based on the LSS Reward tile and one benefit from top-left of LSS Area

Availability

Actions shown beside Vault slots are available when no Shuttle occupies that space

Pay Crystal cost

Each Executive Action has an associated Crystal cost

Use Advanced Buildings

Pay 2 Crystals to use one of your Advanced Buildings' actions

Scientist benefit

If a Scientist is working on an Advanced Building (yours or another player's), both the Scientist owner and Building owner can use that Executive Action for free

Assign Scientist

Move your Scientist meeple from current location to a Project card matching their specialty

Shared benefit

While assigned, both Scientist owner and Building owner use that Building's Executive Action free

Scientist remains

A Scientist stays until moved to work on another Building

End game scoring

Scientists score 3 OP per Advanced Building of their indicated type on Mars

Contribute to Missions

When performing relevant actions, gain Crystals shown on Mission card and move Mission Tracking Cube back 1 space

Complete Mission

When cube reaches the checkmark space, remove the Mission card and move Remaining Missions Cube 1 space right