Martians: A Story of Civilization (2016) Board Game

Martians: A Story of Civilization’ is a board game released in 2016, designed by Paweł Niziołek and illustrated by REDIMP GAMES. It falls under the categories of City Building, Civilization, Economic, Exploration, Science Fiction, and Space Exploration. The game allows players to take on the role of leaders of rival factions on Mars, competing to build the most successful civilization on the red planet.

Game Components of Martians: A Story of Civilization

Game board featuring various facilities like mining, lab, hospital, and water treatment

Worker tokens (three per player)

Resource tokens (Regolith, etc.)

Event cards

Martian weather cards

Structure models (optional)

Rulebook (notorious for its complexity)

How To Setup Martians: A Story of Civilization

Setting up the game involves placing the game board, distributing the worker tokens, and preparing the resource and event cards. Each player selects their starting resources and workers. The game starts soon after the colony has been initiated, with players needing to manage their resources and workers to build and maintain the colony.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Worker Placement: Players place workers in different locations to perform actions.
– Each location can allow multiple actions if time and resources permit.
– Each player has three workers but only three time units per turn.

Resource Management: Players must manage resources like Regolith to build and maintain facilities.

Event Cards: These cards introduce crises and challenges similar to those in Dead of Winter or Battlestar Galactica.

Martian Weather: Weather conditions add an additional layer of challenge.

Game Modes:
– Cooperative: Players work together to build and maintain the colony.
– Semi-Cooperative: Players work together but with competitive elements.
– Competitive: Players compete against each other for victory points.

Player Experience

Once past the initial hurdle of the complex rulebook, players find **Martians: A Story of Civilization** to be a highly engaging and challenging game. The game’s theme of building and maintaining a Martian colony is immersive, with each facility on the board serving a unique and essential function. The random nature of event cards and Martian weather ensures each game is unique and demanding.

Pros

Highly Thematic: The game’s Martian colony theme is well-executed and immersive.

Flexible Gameplay: Four different game modes offer a range of play styles.

Strategic Depth: Managing workers, resources, and events requires careful strategy.

Visual Appeal: The game is highly visually appealing, especially with the optional structure models.

Cons

Complex Rulebook: The rulebook is notoriously difficult to understand, requiring external resources for clarification.

Reputation Point Track: This feature is irrelevant in full cooperative modes, feeling like an unnecessary addition.

Competitive Mode: While functional, the competitive mode is less rounded and offers nothing significantly new.

Personal Thoughts on Martians: A Story of Civilization

**Martians: A Story of Civilization** is for players who enjoy complex, strategic games with a strong theme. Despite the initial challenge posed by the rulebook, the game rewards those who persevere with a rich and engaging experience. It is particularly suited for fans of worker placement and cooperative games looking for a new challenge. However, it may not be the best fit for casual gamers or those who prefer simpler rule sets.

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