Terraforming Mars: Colonies expands the scope of the game by introducing the concept of establishing colonies on various moons, planets, and distant outposts throughout the solar system. Thematically, it takes the core concept of transforming Mars and stretches it to a broader narrative of resource extraction and economic expansion beyond Mars itself. You’re not just terraforming; you’re leveraging the solar system’s wealth to power your Mars initiatives.
The focus here is on resource acquisition through colonies and trading fleets. Colonies act as new locations where players can invest to gain benefits, while trading fleets allow players to visit these colonies and gather resources, adding new layers to the game’s economic engine. Colonies don’t directly contribute to terraforming parameters, but they offer key resources like titanium, energy, and floaters, which feed into your strategy.
Pros:
- Increased Strategic Options: Colonies introduces new ways to generate resources, which adds fresh dynamics to the decision-making process. Building colonies provides an alternative resource stream that doesn’t rely on card draws or board placement. This new avenue for gaining resources can make your engine more flexible and adaptable to different strategies.
- Engaging Trading Fleet Mechanic: The addition of the trading fleet mechanic adds an interactive, tactical layer. Players must decide when to send their fleets to colonies, balancing the costs and benefits of visiting specific colonies. It also introduces some competition as other players may be eyeing the same resources.
- Enhanced Replayability: The random selection of colony tiles each game means that the board setup and the available colonies change from one game to the next. This variety helps keep the game fresh, particularly for experienced Terraforming Mars players who want more variability in their plays.
- Minimal Rules Overhead: Colonies integrates well into the base game without overly complicating the mechanics. The expansion’s rules are easy to grasp, especially for seasoned players, and the new systems feel like a natural extension of the base game. If you’ve played with Prelude or Venus Next, adding Colonies into the mix doesn’t feel overwhelming.
- Synergizes Well with Other Expansions: Colonies works seamlessly alongside other expansions like Prelude, which enhances your early game, or Venus Next, which adds another planet to terraform. Together, these expansions help create a more diverse gameplay experience without overloading the player with too many new mechanics.
Cons:
- Can Lead to Resource Overload: Colonies provides a significant boost to resource generation, and if players heavily invest in colonies, it can lead to a potential runaway effect. Players with early access to colonies or strong trading fleets may snowball into resource-rich positions, making it harder for others to catch up. This can sometimes upset the balance of the game.
- Resource Focused, Not Terraforming: One critique is that Colonies doesn’t contribute directly to the terraforming process. While the expansion provides plenty of ways to generate resources, it doesn’t necessarily speed up or directly impact the completion of global parameters like oxygen, heat, or oceans. For some, this feels like a missed opportunity, especially since terraforming is the primary focus of the base game.
- Additional Complexity in Player Decisions: For players who already find Terraforming Mars a bit long or overwhelming, Colonies adds an extra layer of decision-making, particularly with trading fleets. Deciding when to trade and which colonies to invest in can create more potential for analysis paralysis, especially in larger games with more players.
- Less Thematic Depth Compared to Other Expansions: While the expansion adds interesting mechanics, it doesn’t carry the same thematic weight as other expansions like Turmoil or Venus Next. Colonies feel more like an economic add-on than an immersive narrative experience. If you’re looking for deeper thematic immersion, this expansion might feel a bit abstract compared to the political intrigue of Turmoil or the expansive terraforming in Venus Next.
- Can Extend Game Length: As with many expansions, Colonies can increase the overall length of the game. The additional turns spent managing colonies and trading fleets can make an already lengthy game even longer. For groups who already struggle with Terraforming Mars’ playtime, this could be a downside.
Summary:
Terraforming Mars: Colonies is a solid expansion that adds new strategic depth and variety to the game by offering alternative ways to generate resources. The inclusion of colonies and trading fleets opens up more flexibility in how players manage their economies, creating interesting interactions and competition. It enhances replayability and integrates well with other expansions, making it a strong addition for players who want more variety in their game.
That said, Colonies doesn’t fundamentally change the core gameplay of Terraforming Mars, and it may feel more like an economic side expansion rather than a game-changer. For some, the added complexity and extended playtime may be a downside, and it doesn’t directly contribute to the terraforming objectives. Overall, it’s an expansion geared toward players who love engine-building and resource management but might not appeal as strongly to those seeking more narrative depth or terraforming impact.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
