Stanley Gaming Guild

I have played the game three times now. It is a weird, but great game. The first time I played it, I wanted to play it again immediately. I was left knowing that while I didn’t score well, knowing the game would return a deeper strategic experience. The second time it got to the table, I was eager to play knowing how the game works. However, that game left me slightly perplexed; it seemed to deny me the cards that I knew I wanted which ended up frustrating me. However, I tend to dislike card drafting in games, so I don’t fault the game for that. The third game was down right fun. The game design is elegant and quick despite having so many options for play. I knew my wife would love it. She learned it so much quicker than I did; and no surprise there, she just “gets” games and patterns. I don’t expect to beat her much in the future.

Additional Thoughts on the Components

If you read the forums on BGG, which you should, you will see that the components vs the price tag is an issue for some. I will go on record and say that for a $70 game, in general, the components should be a work of art. However, they are not. The overall design is inconsistent, at best, and downright ugly in some cases. Ooooooh, metallic cubes you say? Look at the corners:

The corners have the metallic “paint” chipped off. The first time I played this game I thought this was due to standard game play. However, when I purchased my copy, it was the first thing I checked. There they were. Chipped. I have later learned it is from the cubes being on a the sprue and when they are knocked off, behold, no paint. Remember, this is a $70 game. 🤔

And yet, sometimes the game looks great.

Some of the photos on the cards are illustrations and some are photos, seemingly stock photos. I wish I kept the link so I could properly source it, but someone on boardgamegeek.com said the game reminded them of their high school science textbook. Sums up the design and might lead to some of its quirky charm.

Final Thoughts

Here is the deal, the game is great. Price and components aside, the game is just down right fun. It has all the complexities of Through the Ages, but somehow manages to be “easier” and more fun. Perhaps streamlined? Not sure. In the end, the weird art design choices leave this game with a lot of charm. If that was intentional, the designers are brilliant.

	Designer	Jacob Fryxelius
	Artist	Isaac Fryxelius
	Publisher	FryxGames, Arclight, Fantasmagoria, Ghenos Games, Intrafin Games, Korea Boardgames co., Ltd., Lavka Games, Maldito Games, Meeple BR Jogos, MINDOK, MYBG Co., Ltd., Rebel, Reflexshop, Schwerkraft-Verlag, Siam Board Games, Stronghold Games
	Year Published	2016
	# of Players	1 - 5
	User Suggested # of Players	Best with 5+ players Recommended with 1, 2, 3, 4 players (769 voters)
	Playing Time	120
	Mfg Suggested Ages	12 and up
	User Suggested Ages	12 and up (122 voters)
	Language Dependence	Moderate in-game text - needs crib sheet or paste ups (45 voters)
	Category	Economic, Environmental, Industry / Manufacturing, Science Fiction, Territory Building
	Mechanic	Card Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection, Take That, Tile Placement, Variable Player Powers
	Expansion	Terraforming Mars: BGG User-Created Corporation Pack, Terraforming Mars: Colonies, Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium, Terraforming Mars: Penguins Promo Card, Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Terraforming Mars: Self Replicating Robots Promo Card, Terraforming Mars: Small Asteroid Promo Card, Terraforming Mars: Snow Algae Promo Card, Terraforming Mars: Venus Next
	Family	Fryxgames' Future Timeline, Planets: Mars, Solar System, Solitaire Games, Tableau Building, Terraforming Mars
	Primary Name	Terraforming Mars
	Alternate Names	A Mars terraformálása, Mars: Teraformace, Terraformacja Marsa, Покорение Марса, Тераформирай Марс, พลิกพิภพดาวอังคาร, テラフォーミング・マーズ, 殖民火星, 테라포밍 마스

More info on BGG.