On Mars

1 / 53 ~27 min
Welcome to Mars

The Mission

Welcome to On Mars -- a deep strategy game by Vital Lacerda about colonizing the Red Planet. You play as a chief astronaut from a private exploration company, competing to develop the biggest, most advanced colony on Mars.

The colony begins small and dependent on Earth. You will travel between the Mars Space Station in orbit and the planet's surface, constructing Mines, power generators, water extractors, greenhouses, oxygen condensers, and Shelters. Your goal is to build a self-sufficient colony while achieving Mission objectives and your company's Private Goals.

The game revolves around a core tension: resources and technology come from Orbit, but buildings can only be constructed on the Colony. You must constantly shuttle back and forth, timing your travels carefully.

Tutorial Overview

Glossary

Advanced Building

An upgraded version of a basic building. Created by using a Blueprint to upgrade a building on the map (costs 1 Mineral). Advanced Buildings produce Resources when you travel to Orbit and unlock Executive actions. Worth 3 OP (Level 1) or 5 OP (Level 3) at end of game. Unbuilt Blueprints lose you the same amount.

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Blueprint

Cards obtained from the Orbital Station that are required to upgrade basic buildings into Advanced Buildings. Each Blueprint shows the type of building it can upgrade, the minimum Complex size required, the upgrade cost, and an Executive action. Level 1 Blueprints upgrade any building; Level 3 Blueprints require a Complex of size 3 or greater. An Advanced Building marker is placed on the Blueprint when obtained.

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Bot

A robotic unit you control. You start with 4 Bots (3 beside your Player board, 1 on your starting Shelter). Bots define your Building Zone -- you can only construct buildings on a Bot's hex or adjacent hexes. Bots are moved via the Control Center action. Bots on hexes with Crystals destroy them; on hexes with Discovery/Research tiles, they destroy those tiles.

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Building Complex

A group of 2 or more connected buildings of the same type on the map. The size of the Complex equals the number of buildings in it. Creating or increasing a Complex requires using a Tech tile of the matching type at a level equal to or greater than the total number of buildings being connected. A standalone building is not a Complex.

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Building Zone

The hex a Bot occupies and all adjacent hexes. You may only construct and upgrade buildings within a Building Zone. Multiple Bots' zones may overlap.

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Colonist

Worker pieces in your player color. You start with 12 (3 in Living Quarters, 9 in reserve). Colonists are placed on Action slots (Red Colonist mechanic), sent to the Working Area (Teal Colonist mechanic to boost actions), placed on Mines to produce Minerals, and score OP at end of game based on their position in your Living Quarters.

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Colonization Phase

The first phase of each round. Players take turns in Turn Order, each performing 1 Main action and optionally 1 Executive action. The actions available depend on whether the player is on the Orbit side or the Colony side of the board.

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Colony Level

A marker that tracks the overall development of the colony. It advances when all LSS markers reach the same row. Higher Colony levels unlock more Blueprint cards, increase the number of Ships you can welcome, reduce Shuttle travel frequency, and can reduce the number of Missions needed to end the game.

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Colony Status Update

Triggered when all LSS markers advance to the row with the Colony level marker (or higher). The Colony level increases by 1, new Blueprint cards may be added, the Tech Grid is refilled, the Warehouse is restocked, Progress area scoring occurs, and the Remaining Missions marker may advance.

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Construct a Building

A Colony Main action to place a new building on the map. The building must be within a Building Zone and on a hex without another building. Costs vary by type: LSS buildings cost 1 Resource of the preceding type in the chain, Shelters cost 1 Oxygen, Mines require a Colonist. Creating or expanding a Complex requires a matching Tech tile.

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Control Center

A Colony Main action that lets you move your Bots and Rover. You get 2 Movement points for Bots and 2 for the Rover. Crystals in your Depot can be spent for extra Movement points (1 Crystal = 1 point). The Rover Tech tile adds Movement points equal to its level.

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Crystal

A special currency (representing Marsinum) used to pay for Executive actions, boost certain Colony actions by spending from your Depot, and contribute to Missions. Crystals are stored in your Depot (limited by available spaces). Newly gained Crystals go below your Depot and are only available next turn.

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Depot

Section E of your Player board where Crystals are stored. It has 8 spaces total, but at the start of the game only 3 are available because 5 are occupied by Ships. Available space increases as you Welcome Ships and move them to your Hangar.

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Discovery Tile

Tiles placed on empty hexes 3 spaces from your Rover when you travel to the Colony. Your Rover can claim these by ending movement on them. Discovery tiles provide various one-time benefits and may be needed for Missions or Private Goals.

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Earth Contract

Cards that replace Scientists on the display as Scientists are hired. There are two types: Delivery Contracts (place specific Resources/Crystals on the card during the game) and Upgrade Contracts (have an Advanced Building marker on a specific type as part of a Complex of size 4+). Completed contracts earn OP; incomplete contracts lose OP.

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Executive Action

An optional action you may perform once per turn, before or after your Main action. Executive actions cost Crystals and are unlocked by moving Ships from your Depot to your Hangar. Advanced Buildings and Scientists can provide or reduce the cost of these actions.

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Hangar

Section F of your Player board where Ships are moved from the Depot during the Welcome a Ship action. Ships in the Hangar unlock Executive action slots and are worth 3 OP each at end of game. Ships may be discarded from the Hangar to travel when the Shuttle is not on your side.

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Hire a Scientist / Take an Earth Contract

A Colony Main action with one available slot per player. Take a Scientist or Earth Contract card from the display, paying the indicated cost. Scientists provide free Executive actions when placed on matching Advanced Buildings. The display slot is refilled with an Earth Contract card of your choice.

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Laboratory

Section B of your Player board where you place and develop Technology tiles. Tech tiles start in the leftmost column and are developed by moving them to the right. The column number indicates the tech level, and higher levels provide stronger effects and more end-game OP.

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Landing Pod

An Orbit Main action that allows you to travel to the Colony side without waiting for the Shuttle. Follow the Travel to Colony rules but skip placing a Discovery tile. After choosing a Turn Order space on the Colony side, lay your Player marker down to indicate your turn is done this round.

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Learn New Technology

An Orbit Main action to take 1 Tech tile from the Tech Grid and place it in the leftmost column of your Laboratory. Cost depends on the tile's row: bottom is free, middle costs 1 Battery, top costs 1 Battery + 1 Resource. After placing, gain the tile's immediate benefit. Boostable with Teal Colonists.

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Life Support System (LSS)

The system tracking the colony's essential building types: Generator (power), Water Extractor, Greenhouse (plants), Oxygen Condenser, and Mine. Each column tracks how many of that building type exist. When a new building advances a marker past the Colony level row, the builder gains OP and LSS Reward benefits. The first time each LSS building type is constructed, the builder scores 2 OP.

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Living Quarters

Section C of your Player board where your Colonists reside. Starts with space for 4 Colonists (3 slots occupied initially). Capacity increases by 2 for each additional Shelter you construct. Colonists deployed to the Working Area or Action slots return here when you travel.

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Main Action

The primary action you take each turn. You must perform exactly one Main action. Orbit actions include Landing Pod, Obtain Blueprint, Learn New Technology, Research and Development, and Resupply. Colony actions include Control Center, Construct a Building, Upgrade a Building, Welcome a Ship, and Hire a Scientist / Take an Earth Contract.

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Mine

A special building that produces Minerals. Unlike other buildings, Mines require placing a Colonist from your Living Quarters (instead of paying a Resource). That Colonist becomes a Miner and produces 1 Mineral each time you travel to Orbit. Any player may upgrade a Mine with another player's Colonist on it. Mines are not part of the LSS.

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Mineral

A versatile Resource produced by Mines. Minerals can be used instead of any other Resource type (except when completing Earth Contracts). They are gained by placing Colonists on Mines and through various actions.

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Mission

Shared objectives sent from Earth. Three Mission cards are placed during setup. Each depicts a specific goal for the colony. Contributing to a Mission earns you 1-2 Crystals and advances the Mission tracker. When 3 Missions are completed (reduced at higher Colony levels), the end of the game is triggered.

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Obtain Blueprint

An Orbit Main action to take 1 Blueprint card from the display, place it face up next to your Player board, gain the depicted Resource or Crystal, and place an Advanced Building marker on it. Boostable with Teal Colonists to take additional Blueprints.

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Opportunity Points (OP)

The victory currency of On Mars. The player with the most OP at the end of the game wins. OP is earned throughout the game via Colonist placement, Progress area scoring, LSS rewards, Missions, and end-game scoring from Tech tiles, Advanced Buildings, Ships, Scientists, and Earth Contracts.

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Private Goal

Each player receives 3 secret goal cards at the start. You may complete 1 during the game by meeting its requirements and placing it face up. Alternatively, discard a Private Goal at any time to use it as if it were a Crystal. Uncompleted goals can all be discarded for Crystals.

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Progress Area

The bottom-right section of the main board where Progress cubes are placed. The first time you create or increase a Building Complex, you move one Progress cube from your Player board to the Progress area. Cubes here score OP during Colony Status Updates and at end of game (1/2/4/7/11 OP for 1/2/3/4/5 cubes).

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Red Colonist

An icon on certain actions indicating you must place a Colonist from your Living Quarters onto an Action slot to perform that action. If other players' Colonists are already on those slots, you must pay additional Crystals or move Colonists to your Working Area (1 per each other player color present).

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Research and Development (R&D)

An Orbit Main action to develop Tech tiles in your Laboratory by moving them to the right. You may develop up to 2 tiles, each once. Moving costs the Resource depicted above the destination column. Higher columns mean higher tech levels, stronger effects, and more end-game OP. Boostable with Teal Colonists.

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Research Tile

Tiles placed on specific hexes of the map during setup. Your Rover can claim these by ending movement on them (if you have not already taken one of the same color and letter). Research tiles provide benefits and may be needed for Missions or Private Goals.

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Resource

One of five types of materials needed to build and sustain the colony: Minerals, Batteries, Water, Plants, and Oxygen. Resources are stored in your Storage area. The number you can store equals the number of Shelter tiles you have on the map plus one. Minerals are wild and can substitute for any other Resource (except when completing Earth Contracts).

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Resupply

An Orbit Main action to take 1 Resource or 1 Crystal from the Warehouse on the main board. Boostable with Teal Colonists to take additional items. You cannot take items you do not have capacity to store.

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Rover

A vehicle that travels across the Mars map collecting Crystals and claiming Discovery and Research tiles. You have 1 Rover with 2 base Movement points. Movement can be boosted with Crystals (1 Crystal = 1 extra point) and the Rover Tech tile. Rovers pass through hexes freely but cannot end on hexes with certain pieces.

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Scientist

Special cards that can be hired from the display. Each Scientist has a specialty matching a building type. When placed on a Blueprint card with a matching Advanced Building, the Scientist allows both the building owner and the Scientist owner to use that Executive action for free. Scientists score 3 OP each at end of game for each Advanced Building of their type on Mars (regardless of owner).

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Shelter

A player-specific building type. Each player starts with 5 Shelter tiles (4 on the Player board, 1 on the map). Constructing Shelters costs 1 Oxygen each and increases your Living Quarters capacity (+2) and Resource storage capacity (+1 per type). Shelters from different players are considered different building types.

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Ship

Tokens that start in your Depot (occupying Crystal spaces). Ships are moved to your Hangar via the Welcome a Ship action (costs 1 Plant + 1 Water). Each ship welcomed also gives you 1 Colonist + 1 Bot, or 2 Colonists. Ships in the Hangar unlock Executive actions and can be discarded to travel without the Shuttle. Worth 3 OP each at end of game.

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Shuttle

A shared piece that moves along the Travel track between the Orbit side and Colony side of the board. It travels less frequently as the Colony level increases, representing growing self-sufficiency. Players on the same side as the Shuttle travel for free; others must discard a Ship.

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Shuttle Phase

The second phase of each round. The Shuttle moves one space toward the center of the board. If it reaches a Travel space, it travels to the opposite side. Players may then choose to travel between Orbit and the Colony, or stay where they are.

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Storage

Section A of your Player board where Resources are stored. The capacity for each Resource type equals the number of your Shelter tiles on the map plus one. The order of Resources on your board matters: each Resource to the left of an arrow is needed to build the Building type to its right.

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Teal Colonist

An icon on certain actions indicating the action can be boosted by moving Colonists from your Living Quarters to your Working Area. Each Colonist moved boosts the action as described (e.g., take extra resources, obtain extra blueprints, develop extra tech).

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Technology Tile

Tiles placed in your Laboratory that enhance actions and provide end-game scoring. There are 5 types matching the LSS buildings plus Rover, Shelter, and Upgrade. Each player may have only 1 tile of each type. Tech levels range from 1-5; higher levels make related actions more powerful and score more OP.

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Travel

Moving between the Orbit and Colony sides of the board during the Shuttle Phase. When traveling to Colony: place a Discovery tile, retrieve Colonists, choose a Colony Turn Order space. When traveling to Orbit: produce Resources from Advanced Buildings and Mines, retrieve Colonists, choose an Orbit Turn Order space.

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Turn Order

The sequence in which players take their turns during the Colonization Phase. Determined by Player marker positions on the Turn Order spaces, starting from position 1 on the Orbit side through to position 8 on the Colony side. Players choose Turn Order spaces when traveling.

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Upgrade a Building

A Colony Main action to convert a basic building into an Advanced Building using a Blueprint. Costs 1 Mineral. The building must be in a Building Zone and match the Blueprint type. If using a Level 3 Blueprint, the building must be part of a Complex of size 3+. The Advanced Building marker moves from the Blueprint to the building tile.

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Warehouse

Spaces on the main board that hold Resources and Crystals available for the Resupply action. Restocked during Colony Status Updates to 3 of each (2 in a 2-player game).

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Welcome a Ship

A Colony Main action to move 1 Ship from your Depot to your Hangar. Costs 1 Plant + 1 Water. You receive either 1 Colonist + 1 Bot, or 2 Colonists. The total number of Ships you can welcome is limited by the current Colony level. Boostable with Teal Colonists to welcome additional Ships.

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Working Area

Section D of your Player board. Colonists are sent here to boost actions (the Teal Colonist mechanic). There is no limit to the number of Colonists in your Working Area. Colonists here return to your Living Quarters at the end of the round when you travel.

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