Terraforming Mars

About

Terraforming Mars is a single player and multiplayer casual strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Artefacts Studio and was released on October 17, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In Terraforming Mars, players lead corporations to transform the red planet into a habitable world by increasing temperature, oxygen levels, and creating oceans. Compete against other players to achieve the highest Terraform Rating and gather Victory Points through building cities, infrastructure, and other projects, while defending against rivals' attempts to hinder progress. This digital adaptation of Jacob Fryxelius's board game offers single-player and multiplayer modes for up to 6 players.

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69%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,582 reviews

gameplay79 positive mentions

stability447 negative mentions

Faithful adaptation of the board game with engaging gameplay and strategic depth.
Great for solo play and allows for quick setup and play without the hassle of physical components.
Visually appealing with a user-friendly interface that automates many tedious aspects of the board game.

Riddled with game-breaking bugs that can cause crashes and prevent players from finishing matches.
Online multiplayer is often unplayable due to connectivity issues and a frustrating karma system that penalizes players for disconnections.
Lacks essential features like an undo button and has a clunky UI that makes it difficult to track game state and player actions.

stability
458 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent and game-breaking bugs, particularly in online multiplayer modes. Many players experience crashes, freezes, and unresponsive interfaces, making the game nearly unplayable at times. While some updates have improved stability, the overall consensus is that the game remains excessively buggy, detracting from the enjoyment of an otherwise well-designed board game adaptation.
- “One of the best board game digital adaptations: mechanics, visuals, bug-free, interface.”
- “It's updated, bug-free, and a great time killer with the added bonus of not having to track a billion resource pieces.”
- “Huge improvements since the original release and mostly bug-free now.”
- “The game is a buggy mess that seems to get worse and worse with every update.”
- “This game is extremely buggy and just stops responding when you do certain things - would highly recommend when it's fixed - but right now it's stupidly broken.”
- “The multiplayer is incredibly buggy, people always disconnect due to technical issues.”
gameplay
253 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The gameplay of the digital adaptation of Terraforming Mars is generally praised for its faithful representation of the board game mechanics, offering a strategic and immersive experience with a user-friendly interface. However, players frequently report frustrating bugs, glitches, and a poorly designed timer mechanic that can disrupt gameplay and lead to significant downtime. While the game provides a solid foundation for learning and mastering its complex mechanics, the overall experience is marred by technical issues that detract from its potential enjoyment.
- “Terraforming Mars on Steam provides players with an intricate and immersive experience that combines strategic gameplay with a rich thematic backdrop rooted in scientific and ecological transformation.”
- “The core gameplay revolves around players acting as corporations competing to terraform Mars by increasing its temperature, oxygen levels, and ocean coverage.”
- “The gameplay flows nicely, plays well, but make sure you set the turn duration longer than 30 minutes, or else you will run out of time.”
- “A technical crapshoot that outweighs the gameplay's merits.”
- “Gameplay does shine through, but it is still buried under tons of bugs, UI mishaps, online game softlocks, graphical errors, baffling design decisions, and general lack of polish.”
- “The amount of bugs, glitches, and constant problems with online gameplay is staggering, not to mention the incredible arrogance of the PC game developers.”
graphics
197 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their beauty and fidelity to the original board game, while others criticize performance issues and excessive graphical flourishes that detract from gameplay. Users appreciate the smooth animations and user-friendly interface, but some report bugs and a lack of options to adjust graphic settings, leading to frustration. Overall, while the visuals are generally well-received, they are often overshadowed by technical problems and a clunky user experience.
- “The graphics are beautiful and the game plays smoothly.”
- “Great gameplay and visuals.”
- “The graphics and sound effects are stellar, and the background music is alright.”
- “The graphics are actually poor.”
- “The graphics do not feel clean -- it's difficult to distinguish what exactly is going on.”
- “Others have given valid complaints about the UI, but my biggest issue is performance - the game is an unnecessary resource hog, using over 4GB of RAM and > 95% GPU, all to deliver unnecessary graphical flourish that cannot be disabled for better performance.”
music
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
38%
4%
The music in the game is generally praised for its calming and immersive qualities, enhancing the strategic gameplay without being distracting. Many players appreciate the atmospheric soundtrack, describing it as soothing and fitting for long sessions, although some note that it can become repetitive over extended play. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, making it a highlight for many players.
- “The soundtrack is minimal but fitting, offering a calm and focused ambiance that complements the strategic gameplay without distracting from it.”
- “One of the most solid adaptations of any board game out there and the music will masterfully keep you in the zone as you conquer the red planet with your friends!”
- “The music and graphics are phenomenal as well.”
- “The audio needs better balancing, and honestly just turning off the music has been the go-to option for myself and the folks I play with.”
- “The computer version has shaky to tragic netcode that gives different game states to different players, bugs that appear and reappear each patch, repetitive music, and an interface with overlapping elements that fight for screen space.”
- “Some of the games go on for a while and the music is a bit repetitive.”
replayability
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The game boasts high replayability, with players noting the variety of strategies, different corporations, and the impact of expansions that keep each session feeling fresh. While some users mention issues with online play and AI challenges, the overall consensus is that the game offers engaging experiences whether played solo, against AI, or in multiplayer modes. Many players express that the game remains enjoyable after numerous sessions, highlighting its immersive and addictive nature.
- “The AI opponents are reasonably challenging, providing a good test of skill, and the online multiplayer mode allows for engaging matches with friends or players worldwide, further extending the game’s replayability.”
- “With the prelude and map expansions, there's a ton of replayability, very different strategies every time I play.”
- “Outstanding replayability, the right mix of luck and strategy, multiple paths to victory, engine building all work together to create an immersive experience that I never tire of.”
- “While the base cards and corporations offer plenty of replayability, playing the same game board every time gets old.”
- “No effort was made to extend the board game; it's a 'pretty' game with a cheap implementation and limited replayability.”
- “The game is well-designed with extensive replayability, and the solo game is challenging but fun.”
optimization
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
56%
21%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including high CPU and GPU usage, lag, and bugs that hinder gameplay. While some users noted improvements in optimization over time, particularly with GPU performance, others criticized the user interface as clunky and in need of further refinement. Overall, the game runs smoothly for some, but many players feel it is poorly optimized, especially on lower-end systems and certain platforms like Linux.
- “This is good fun, very complex to get into and I honestly don't think I'm that good, but I think that means there is significant playability... there are several different game modes, it seems to run smoothly, happy days :-)”
- “Amazing optimization for different systems.”
- “All in all the game runs smoothly and the AI seems to be making intelligent choices (at least on hard mode).”
- “The game is not optimized; the computer gets terribly hot while playing.”
- “I've rarely seen games as badly optimized as this one.”
- “Performance-wise, it is a disaster.”
grinding
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
Reviews highlight that while the digital version of the game alleviates some tedious aspects of the physical board game, it still suffers from significant grinding issues. Players find the animations and AI turn-taking to be slow and cumbersome, leading to a frustrating experience, especially during multiplayer sessions. Additionally, the need for excessive confirmations and clicks to navigate the interface contributes to a sense of tedium, detracting from overall enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Great board game, but this computer version is tediously slow.”
- “The implementation of all the rules is pretty thorough although at times a little tedious, especially given how you need to confirm so many things including reviewing all the actions the other players have taken during their turns.”
- “So many terrible design decisions that make it actually more tedious to play on the app than to play with a physical board, and usually the opposite is true.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
16%
16%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful graphics and atmospheric music that complement the theme of terraforming Mars. While some users noted minor interface issues that can disrupt the experience, the overall ambiance creates a cohesive and engaging environment for players. The variety of project types and the game's thematic elements contribute to a unique and enjoyable atmosphere in each session.
- “Great atmosphere, and only minor issues regarding UI.”
- “Very atmospheric game, the game rules are really neatly fitting to the topic of the game: Mars and all forms of science (biology, chemistry, physics).”
- “Cohesive experience, beautiful animation, and atmospheric music.”
- “I like the board game, but this implementation is killing the atmosphere of the physical version.”
- “Additionally, in a timed atmosphere, the interface refresh system becomes painfully apparent and frustrating as you are locked out from interactions while the screen refreshes, all while the timer has already started running down.”
- “This needs oxygen, water (oceans), and an atmosphere (temperature).”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
33%
The humor in the game is hit or miss; while some players find it amusing, especially in a group setting, others feel that the jokes quickly become repetitive and frustrating. The adaptation of the board game is noted for its whimsical elements, but some users criticize it as a "laughingstock," suggesting that the humor may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the comedic aspects can enhance the experience, but they may also lead to annoyance, particularly in online play.
- “This is a digital adaptation of a hilariously complex, yet fast-paced, board game.”
- “Some of the cards are fanciful and funny.”
- “Funny with friends.”
- “Playing this game online is painfully unfunny; the local humor falls flat, and the AI is just stupid.”
- “The attempts at humor in this game are cringeworthy and miss the mark completely.”
- “I expected some laughs, but the jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game lacks a traditional narrative, with users noting that it does not have a story mode or campaign. However, its variability offers replayability, making the absence of a story less significant for players.
- “For some context regarding Fryxgames' side of the story, check out this response from them: boardgamegeek.com/thread/2432874/article/34902090#34902090.”
- “No story.”
- “The longer story might be, you probably shouldn't???”
- “In addition, this game has enough variability from one game to another that it is replayable without a story mode or campaign.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of heartbreak and disappointment regarding the emotional impact of the game, particularly due to recent updates that hinder enjoyment and cause crashes. Despite these frustrations, there are moments of wholesome fun highlighted, especially in the context of family and friends playing together. Overall, the emotional experience is marred by technical issues and limitations in accessing content.
- “It's heartbreaking to see such a wonderful board game translated into a digital format as abysmally as this.”
- “It's heartbreaking to write this: since a recent update, the game crashes with the ability to resume the game you were playing.”
- “Unfortunately, the latest update impedes us in enjoying the DLCs unless all the players own them, which honestly, it's heartbreaking.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is heavily criticized, with users highlighting a poor implementation plagued by bugs, a non-functional multiplayer mode, and intrusive data collection practices tied to account creation. Additionally, the DLC is viewed as a cash grab, suggesting a lack of ongoing development and support for the game.
- “Garbage implementation of the game with constant bugs, multiplayer doesn't work, and they even try to make you create an account so they can siphon your data on top of it and feed you BS ads.”
- “Appears to be abandonware; DLC was a cash grab before development ended.”