How to Play On Mars: Orbit, Colony & Life Support
On Mars is a heavy eurogame split between orbital and colony actions. The central puzzle is timing when to remain on one side and when to travel to the other.
Scope: Eagle-Gryphon base game; Alien Invasion excluded.
Orbit actions
While in orbit, gain technologies, blueprints and resources, recruit Scientists and prepare for future colony development.
Colony actions
On the surface, use workers and bots to construct and operate buildings, expand life-support systems and complete contracts.
Build life-support infrastructure
Oxygen, water and power buildings raise the colony’s Life Support System. These structures also unlock related development and can change the pace of the game.
Use blueprints and technologies
Blueprints determine which buildings you can construct; technologies improve action efficiency or unlock stronger development.
Scientists and advanced buildings
Scientists interact with advanced buildings and can improve scoring or action access.
Travel timing
Shuttles determine when travel between orbit and the colony is easiest. Moving at the wrong moment can strand your resources away from the actions that use them.
Game end
When the base-game end conditions are satisfied, resolve final scoring from colony development, technologies, scientists, contracts and private objectives.