Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition – Crisis
FryxGames, Stronghold Games, Arclight Games · Board game · 2023
1–4 · best 2
Solo
60 min
Weight 2.6/5
Buy
9.5
rating
Ludopedia
7.9
rating
BGG
Our Verdict
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Want to save Mars as a team? This expansion brings the cooperative challenge that Ares Expedition was missing, with urgent crises demanding unity. If you love the base game and want a new way to play, this one's for you!
Highlights
- Exciting cooperative challenge
- New strategic layer
- Keeps base game essence
- Great for groups
Keep in mind
- High language dependency
- Requires base game
Rules manual not indexed yet
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About the game
What you do in a play session
Get ready for another Martian adventure! In Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition: Crisis, you and your friends take on the roles of corporations working together to save the red planet from a catastrophe. The twist is cooperative: everyone wins or everyone loses together! The gameplay retains the essence of Ares Expedition, with phase selection and strategic use of project cards. The big new feature is that each round, a Crisis card emerges, presenting urgent challenges that require everyone's collaboration to resolve. If you're slow to deal with these crises, they can hinder the terraforming process, lowering Mars' vital indicators. The ultimate goal is clear: overcome all crises and finally complete the planet's terraforming to secure victory. It's an expansion that adds a layer of tension and teamwork to the already acclaimed Ares Expedition system, perfect for those who enjoy collaborative challenges with a sci-fi twist.
Expansion for
Published additional content
Gallery
Box and component photos
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Best player count
BGG community vote
1
REC
2
REC
3
REC
4
REC
Soundtrack
Ambience suggested by Melodice
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Mechanics, categories, families and credits
Mechanics
Categories
Families
Publisher
FryxGames, Stronghold Games, Arclight Games, Intrafin Games, Lavka Games, Maldito Games, Rebel Sp. z o.o., Reflexshop, Schwerkraft-Verlag
Designer
Jacob Fryxelius, Nick Little (I), Sydney Engelstein
Artist
Nio Mendoza
Community
Data from BoardGameGeek
4,636owners
347wishlist
59want to play
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you buy
Do I need the base game Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition to play?
Yes, absolutely! This is an expansion, so you need to own the base game Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition to play with the Crisis cards and rules.
How does the cooperative mode work?
In Crisis, all players collaborate to overcome the Crisis cards that appear each round. The goal is to resolve these crises before they harm Mars' terraforming. If you fail, everyone loses.
Does the game get harder with this expansion?
Yes, the expansion adds a level of difficulty and urgency, as crises must be resolved quickly to avoid negatively impacting the terraforming project. It requires more coordination among players.
How many people can play?
The expansion maintains the player count of the base game, allowing for 1 to 4 players. The cooperative mode works well at all these counts.
Does the playtime change much?
The playtime is similar to the base game, generally around 60 minutes, but it can vary depending on player experience and the complexity of the drawn crises.
Is a good level of English required to play?
Yes, the expansion has a considerable language dependency, as the Crisis cards and other components have important text for gameplay.
