On Mars

On Mars is played over several rounds, each consisting of two phases: the colonization phase and the shuttle phase. During the colonization phase, each player takes a turn performing actions. The available actions depend on the side of the board they are on. When you're in orbit, you can take blueprints, buy and develop technologies, and get supplies from the warehouse. When you are on the surface of the planet, you can build buildings with your bots, upgrade these buildings using blueprints, hire scientists and new contracts, welcome new ships and explore the surface of the planet with your rover. In the Shuttle phase, players can travel in orbit between the colony and the space station. All buildings on Mars are dependent on each other and some are needed to grow the colony. Building shelters for settlers to live in requires oxygen; plants are needed to generate oxygen; growing plants need water; extracting water from ice requires electricity; generating power requires mining minerals; and mining minerals requires settlers. It is vital to upgrade the colony's ability to provide each of these resources. As the colony grows, more shelters are needed so that the colonists can survive the inhospitable conditions on Mars. During the game, players also try to complete missions. Once a total of three missions have been completed, the game ends. To win the game, players must contribute to the development of the first colony on Mars. This is reflected during the game by players receiving Opportunity Points (OP). The player with the most VP at the end of the game is declared the winner.

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