Keen to build on the success of its ruthless, deep, and rewarding sci-fi deckbuilding game Terraforming Mars, developer Stronghold Games is about to launch a crowdfunding project for a campaign version of the title. Terraforming Mars: The Legacy of Mars promises to take the Terraforming Mars formula and have it play across four missions in a persistent, campaign-based structure.
For the uninitiated, Terraforming Mars has you take on the role of one of several corporations helming a mission to make Mars fit for human habitation. As you might expect, each has its own victory conditions, strengths, and weaknesses.
However, what sets Terraforming Mars apart is its unerring commitment to flavor. Each company has a very distinct agenda. To give some examples: Credicor is a superbank with interstellar ambitions, while Ecoline is obsessed with biological sciences, and the Tharsis Republic is more like a trade union, placing its workers and civilian population first.
These motes of flavor give each game of Terraforming Mars the feeling of a well-paced, self-contained HBO sci-fi miniseries. To me, this makes Terraforming Mars one of the best board games out there. This quality of the base game makes me especially excited for a campaign version, especially since the crowdfunder's preview section took pains to emphasize the campaign game's corporations.
What's more, the campaign promises that each of the four missions comes with its own board, rules, and challenges, introduces new cards, and develops your corporation of choice. This comes along with an intriguing, if slightly ominous promise to "expand what terraforming means in surprising ways." I have no idea what this means, but I can't wait to find out.
The crowdfunding campaign for Terraforming Mars: The Legacy of Mars is due to launch on May 12. If you enjoy flavorful deckbuilding games, I strongly recommend giving the campaign a look.
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