On Mars (2020)
(2020)Eagle-Gryphon Games, hobbity.eu, Maldito, Giochix.it, Lavka Games, Angry Lion Games
On Mars is a complex strategy game where players work to develop the biggest and most advanced colony on Mars by achieving DOME mission goals and completing private company agendas. Players alternate between being in orbit around Mars and on the colony surface, with different actions available depending on their location, connected by shuttle phases that allow movement between the two areas.
The Verdict
based on 19 reviews
This is pure strategy at its finest, with a theme I always enjoy. Everything matters. Everything is fun to explore.
The reviewer highly regards 'On Mars', placing it among his top Vital Lacerda games and potentially his favorite, praising its intricate and interconnected mechanisms as a pinnacle of game design.
On Mars is bold. On Mars is ambitious. On Mars is extraordinary.
On Mars is one of the best games I’ve ever played, it’s as simple as that. The way the worker-placement has been merged with a tactical tile-placement game is so polished, and the various mechanisms so beautifully interwoven.
The reviewers highly recommend On Mars, praising its satisfying engine building, diverse strategic paths, and high replayability due to the many different things to explore and upgrade within the game.
The reviewer highly recommends the 'Alien Invasion' expansion for On Mars, noting that it effectively introduces cooperative elements and an improved solo mode, making the game more accessible and offering new ways to engage with the core experience without adding overwhelming complexity.
The reviewers praise "On Mars" as a beautifully designed and highly replayable game that excels in thematic integration, although they note its initial learning curve and express minor reservations about some complex design choices and the game's ending conditions.
If you love the Martian setting of Terraforming Mars, On Mars offers an even more detailed and immersive strategic experience.
The reviewer finds 'On Mars' to be a fun and highly strategic board game with immense replayability and a strong thematic feel, despite its high complexity and a challenging learning curve due to an imperfect rulebook.
The reviewer provides an extensive playthrough and review, indicating a strong appreciation for 'On Mars' as a complex and engaging heavy Eurogame that offers a rewarding strategic experience.
The reviewer praises 'On Mars' as an astoundingly complex yet cohesive Eurogame that brilliantly integrates its intricate mechanisms with a strong Martian theme, offering a deeply rewarding and delightful experience for those willing to embrace its steep learning curve.
The reviewer from Everything Dice praises "On Mars" as an exceptionally heavy and complex board game that provides a highly rewarding and enjoyable challenge, despite its high complexity.
Similar games
Similar theme
Lists to explore
View all lists & features
Top 25Best 2 player-only board games
Find out which games to play with your loved ones, siblings, friends, kids or parents.
Top 25The 25 best card games
Their components fits nicely in the palm of hands yet the possibilities are endless.
RankedJamey Stegmaier board games, ranked
From Wingspan to Scythe — see how Jamey Stegmaier's games stack up.
Top 25Best Cooperative board games
Win together or lose together — co-op games worth rallying your table around.










