Terraformers

This city builder and resource management game immerses you in a complex adventure where you play as the first three generations of human colonists on Mars. Combining strategy, exploration and expansion, get ready for deep gaming experience designed using images from NASA and the ESA.

If you've ever dreamed of making the Red Planet as welcoming as a holiday camp, this is the game for you*. It's time to dust off your space suit and throw yourself into an adventure where strategy, expansion, and a bit of Martian magic all have a role to play.

Terraformers immerses you in an era of Martian history spanning three generations. You start off with a rudimentary base, tasked with building a prosperous civilization. Each generation comes with new challenges and opportunities, as well as leaders that directly influence the direction your colony will take. This take on the 4X genre without any enemies (that's right: there are no little green men, here!) lets you focus on exploration, expansion, and the management of resources to make Mars inhabitable.

We liked Terraformers’ visual portrayal of the Red Planet, which is what makes it such a magical experience. The graphics might be 2D, but they are strikingly beautiful and make every change on the planet fascinating to behold. Watching Mars transform thanks to your efforts is incredibly rewarding. The game has an almost hypnotic ability to make you lose track of time as you watch the fruits of your labours play out. Then, there’s one touch of authenticity that really adds to the charm of the game, with the environment on Mars drawing directly on data supplied by NASA and the ESA. This data has enabled Mars to be faithfully modelled, with the result that you feel like you're really working with space agencies to turn Mars into a New Earth.

Be warned! As you colonise Mars, you'll be faced with a population of colonists who, over time, will develop ever higher expectations. These "fickle Martians" will be demanding constantly improved living conditions, which adds another layer of challenge to your mission. Managing their needs becomes an integral part of the game, and you must weigh your decisions carefully if you're to stop your support bar from falling to zero. You'll need to juggle limited resources and your colonists’ increasing demands in order to keep them happy.

Our favourite part? The unlimited replayability. Each game is a unique challenge with varying planetary configurations and overall objectives. You're in for some sort of surprise every time you launch a new game.

Our tips to help you on your way?

Plan your expansion carefully: the layout of the landscapes is random. Carefully plan your colonies' expansion to optimise access to resources and the efficiency of your infrastructure.

Optimise your use of cards: every turn, you choose from three cards representing buildings or projects. Go for those that best fit your strategy and make sure you have the resources needed to complete them.

Use trade with Earth: the trade system lets you exchange resources with Earth. Take advantage of this to overcome shortages and balance your resources stockpiles.

With a wide range of scenarios and procedurally generated levels, as well as managing different generations of humans, every game is unique and full of surprises. If you like management games with a solid strategic dimension you're in the right place.

Time to make Mars a home away from home!