The Ludarium Academy · Full course · Free

From Red to Green

An unofficial Terraforming Mars course

Learn Terraforming Mars, teach it in ten minutes, and build a corporation that turns a frozen planet into a pile of points.

Free, one short lesson at a time. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy

Terraforming Mars setup: the game board with the oxygen marker on 0 percent, the temperature marker on minus 30 degrees, the 9 ocean tiles stacked on their space, and every TR marker on 20; the project deck, tile supply, and resource cubes beside it; and two player boards with production at 1 on all six tracks.Free printable teach sheetSetup, a turn, scoring, and three tips on one page.

Six levels, 22 lessons

Start with lesson one

  1. Level 0 · Learn to play

    Colonist

    After this level: Set up, teach, and finish a full game, reading every project card at a glance and scoring it by the rulebook.

    1. 01How to Play Terraforming Mars
    2. 02How to Teach Terraforming Mars
    3. 03How to Read a Terraforming Mars Project Card

  2. Level 1 · Beginner

    Pioneer

    After this level: Skip the classic rules slips, keep a starting hand you can afford, and know what every standard project and map space is worth.

    1. 04Your First Three Games of Terraforming Mars
    2. 05Terraforming Mars Openings: Corporation, Hand, and the First Generations
    3. 06Terraforming Mars Standard Projects: The Price List on the Board
    4. 07Terraforming Mars Tile Placement: Reading the Map

  3. Level 2 · Intermediate

    Engineer

    After this level: Pick a strategy path that fits your cards, price any card in M€, know when to stop building, and win the last generation.

    1. 08Terraforming Mars Strategy Paths: Plants, Heat, Cities, Space, Science
    2. 09How to Value a Terraforming Mars Card
    3. 10The Terraforming Mars Midgame: Engines, Milestones, and Tempo
    4. 11Terraforming Mars Endgame and Scoring Math

  4. Level 3 · Advanced

    Director

    After this level: Play with Corporate Era, the draft, and Prelude, use the draft and the table to your advantage, and win the two-player duel.

    1. 12Terraforming Mars Player Counts, Variants, and Expansions
    2. 13Terraforming Mars Draft Strategy: What to Take and What to Pass
    3. 14Terraforming Mars Prelude Strategy: A Faster Start
    4. 15Player Interaction in Terraforming Mars: Attacks, Blocks, and Races
    5. 16Two-Player Terraforming Mars Strategy: Winning the Duel

  5. Level 4 · Tournament ready

    Executive

    After this level: Play the tournament expansion set well: build and trade with colonies, work the Venus track, and read a new map and its milestones at setup.

    1. 17Terraforming Mars Colonies Strategy: Building and Trading
    2. 18Terraforming Mars Venus Next Strategy: The Fourth Track
    3. 19Terraforming Mars Maps: Hellas, Elysium, and Random Milestones

  6. Level 5 · The championship path

    Visionary

    After this level: Enter a tournament knowing its format, procedures, and clock, with a practice plan that gets your game ready for it.

    1. 20Competitive Terraforming Mars: Tournaments and Local Play
    2. 21Terraforming Mars Tournament Rules: Procedure, Time, and Ties
    3. 22A Practice Plan for Tournament Terraforming Mars

Every lesson is free to read here, any time. Sign up and they also arrive by email, one at a time, so the course keeps you learning between game nights.

Who it is for

  • New players who want the rules clear before the first card is bought.
  • Hosts who teach Terraforming Mars to friends or a new group.
  • Players who build a big engine and still lose by ten points.
  • Anyone curious about Prelude, the draft, expansions, and tournaments.
Players
1 to 5
Play time
90 to 120 minutes
Ages
Ages 12 and up
Rules as of
Terraforming Mars rulebook, English (FryxGames and Stronghold Games, 2016), the current PDF on the FryxGames game page

Questions

How does Terraforming Mars end?

The game ends when oxygen reaches 14%, the temperature reaches +8 °C, and all 9 oceans are on the map. Players finish that generation, including production. Then everyone gets one last chance to turn plants into greenery tiles, and the final scoring begins.

What is terraform rating in Terraforming Mars?

Terraform rating, or TR, starts at 20 and goes up 1 step each time you raise the temperature, the oxygen, or place an ocean. Each generation it is added to your M€ production as income, and at the end every step is worth 1 victory point.

Should new players use the Beginner Corporation?

The rulebook says yes. A new player takes a Beginner Corporation, starts with 42 M€, and draws 10 project cards for free instead of choosing between two corporations and paying for cards.

What is Corporate Era, and should you play with it?

Corporate Era is a set of extra cards about economy and technology, marked with a red and white icon. With them in, nobody starts with extra production. The rulebook says it makes the game longer and does not recommend it for new players.

Can you play a card if the global parameter it raises is already maxed?

Yes. You may still play the card and use its other effects. You just ignore the maxed part, and you do not gain TR for it.

Can Terraforming Mars be played solo?

Yes. The rulebook has a solo variant, written for the Corporate Era game. You start at TR 14 without the extra starting production, there are no milestones or awards, and you must finish terraforming by the end of generation 14 to win.

Teach sheet · PDF · Rules as described in the Terraforming Mars rulebook, English (FryxGames and Stronghold Games, 2016), the current PDF on the FryxGames game page; official rules.

Unofficial. Not affiliated with FryxGames or Stronghold Games. Terraforming Mars is a trademark of FryxGames.