Terraforming Mars: Prelude

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Overall Rank: #243 | Trending Rank: #19

As the mega corporations are getting ready to start the terraforming process, you now have the chance to make those early choices that will come to define your corporation and set the course for the future history of Mars - this is the prelude to your greatest endeavors!

In Terraforming Mars: Prelude, you get to choose from Prelude cards that jumpstart the terraforming process, or boost your corporation engine. There are also 5 new corporations, and 7 project cards that thematically fit the early stages of terraforming.

Terraforming Mars: Prelude is the third expansion to the smash-hit game, Terraforming Mars, and can be combined with any other expansion or variant.

Players:1 - 5

Playtime:90 - 120 min

Year Published:2018

Minimum Age: 12

Learning: 2.00 / 5[Vote]

Strategy: 3.00 / 5[Vote]

[+3]

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User Ratings & Reviews

by thereaperexe

Ottima per velocizzare il gioco.Rapporto qualità - prezzo non entusiasmante.

by Wolfbearheart

December 2019$14 Coolstuff Inc.

by LuciusNexx

This expansion adds more to the game without adding to the time of playing. it really is fantastic with what it does.

by Razcar

4/12/19: will always play with this expansion

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Top Forum Posts

Terraforming Mars: Prelude First Impressions Review image

ReviewTerraforming Mars: Prelude First Impressions Review [Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Terraforming Mars]

by Skurvy5 | updated 8 months ago

5 | 9 comments | [+]

I’m back with another Brian’s Battery review!

Terraforming Mars: Prelude is technically the third expansion for the game but it’s the first I’ve added to my collection. Many people say that this is an “essential” expansion and my own first play through has confirmed this to be the case.

I won’t rehash base Terraforming Mars but I will explain a little bit about what Prelude adds. Prelude is a small-box expansion that adds a few more corporations, a few new cards, and most significantly, adds a new deck called the Prelude deck.

The Prelude cards are dealt 4 to each player at the beginning of the game, at the same time as the corporation cards are dealt. Players pick 1 corporation and 2 prelude cards.

The Prelude cards give additional starting bonuses that help jumpstart your engine. The game I played one of my prelude cards increased my money production by 6 but caused me to lose 6 starting money. A short term loss for a significant long term advantage.

The addition of the prelude cards helps to get your engine running a few generations earlier and helps give you focus and purpose right out of the gate. The addition also helps to shorten the game considerably.

Let’s blast off into the review!

(+/-) The art in the game is what it is. Some people don’t like it but I don’t mind it. It’ll never be confused for a beautiful game but it’s thematic and serviceable. I do think the box art is attractive and thematic.

(-/+) The components in this game are notoriously bad. Fortunately the cards themselves are of good quality. And the player marker cubes and resource cubes are nice to handle. I’m particularly fond of the sugar cubes used to measure the terraforming parameters. The main board and hexes used to build cities, oceans, and greenery are good. But the player boards. Man the player boards are awful. You would think a game this good would have better player boards, especially because they are so important to the workings of the game. But it’s something you put up with because the game is so good.

(+/-) The game manual is adequate. It gets the job done and is decently written. I do feel that the quality is a little bit odd on the manual for some reason I can’t quite pinpoint.

(++) The gameplay in this game is sublime engine building awesomeness. Each generation you are buying cards, playing cards, undertaking standard projects, or taking actions further your goal of making Mars more Earth-like.

(++) There are so many cool cards to play. Detonating underground nuclear bombs. Crashing gigantic asteroids into Mars. Ants. Cows. Causing a volcano to erupt. All of them are scientifically.... plausible? Not likely. But In a realm of unlimited resources, sure? I don’t know, but it’s fun to develop your story of how you terraformed Mars.

(++) The Prelude cards are amazing. It’s so refreshing to have a direction at the start of the game, and an engine that is already running a bit as the game gets started. Definitely an essential addition.

This game was languishing on my shelf, cold and lifeless for quite a while. But the Prelude expansion has blasted this game back into my playing cycle and possibly into my Top 5? I don’t know. But it’s quite good. Heartily recommend Terraforming Mars and it’s essential expansion Prelude.

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BGAThe king of BGA giveaways! [Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Underwater Cities]

by philryuh | updated 8 months ago

5 | 20 comments | [+]

Prize has been chosen! [Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Underwater Cities]

by Skurvy5 | updated 9 days ago

3 | 25 comments | [+]

Terraforming Mars Prelude Expansion Review | Board Games | Zatu Games UK image

ReviewTerraforming Mars Prelude Expansion Review | Board Games | Zatu Games UK (https://www.board-game.co.uk/terraforming-mars-prelude-review/) [Terraforming Mars: Prelude]

by trentellingsen | updated 16 months ago

1 | 0 comments | [+]

Terraforming Mars: Prelude First Impressions Review

Review

Skurvy5 Supporter

updated 8 months ago

I’m back with another Brian’s Battery review!

The Prelude cards are dealt 4 to each player at the beginning of the game, at the same time as the corporation cards are dealt. Players pick 1 corporation and 2 prelude cards.

Let’s blast off into the review!

(+/-) The game manual is adequate. It gets the job done and is decently written. I do feel that the quality is a little bit odd on the manual for some reason I can’t quite pinpoint.

[Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Terraforming Mars]

like 5 | 9 comments

The king of BGA giveaways!

BGA

philryuh Supporter

updated 8 months ago

Congrats again @Skurvy5!!!

Let's see how long your reign will continue xD

[Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Underwater Cities]

like 5 | 20 comments

Prize has been chosen!

Skurvy5 Supporter

updated 9 days ago

After an incredibly busy and stressful week at the pharmacy I finally sat down and told Phil what game(s) I would pick for my giveaway.

I started off knowing that I wanted to add #Terraforming Mars: Prelude, which is around $15 on Amazon. This left me with $45 to get the main prize. And let me tell you, there are about 8 billion games at that price point.

In the end I decided to go with a game that I would want to play mostly by myself, thinking that if I want to get a game to play with a group then I could spend my own money. In the end I picked #Underwater Cities. This game looks incredible and the engine building and city building looks amazing.

What do you all think of my selections?

[Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Underwater Cities]

like 3 | 25 comments

Terraforming Mars Prelude Expansion Review | Board Games | Zatu Games UK

Review(https://www.board-game.co.uk/terraforming-mars-prelude-review/)

trentellingsen Supporter

updated 16 months ago

The Prelude expansion for Terraforming Mars allows you to make important choices early in the game to give your corporation a kickstart. Read our review....

[Terraforming Mars: Prelude]

like 1 | 0 comments

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User Activity Feed

What did you play this week? (9/14/2020) | Comment

R0land1199 Supporter46 days ago |

Lots of gaming this week solo and otherwise!

#Terraforming Mars (Solo, physical): One of my favourites and the first game I really enjoyed solo. I played it with just #Terraforming Mars: Prelude as I felt like a more basic game.
#Spirit Island with #Spirit Island: Branch & Claw (Solo, Physical): Probably my favourite solo game when I want something meatier. I enjoy playing with 2 spirits but bumped the difficulty up a bit much and got handily swamped! Might be time to step it back a bit.
#Streets (TTS, Multiplayer): I backed this one on kickstarter. One of the few games I've backed in a while but I really like Villagers so I figured it was a safe bet. I enjoyed the game and I think it will get better with repeated plays. Speaking of Villagers...
#Villagers (Solo, Physical x2): It's a nice easy game to setup and the solo play doesn't have too many bits to remember. Played two games. Narrowly lost the first one and then finally got my first win in the second game! The solo play requires a bit different thinking than the multiplayer game which I'm finally starting to get.
#Ecos: First Continent (TTS, multiplayer): I quite enjoy this game. (I enjoy most games where you create a map.) I was trying to play too strategically to work up to one big scoring card but my plans were repeatedly (and accidentally) thwarted by the other players. I have to remember to draft more medium level scoring cards and not to get fixated on one goal.
#Trickerion (TTS, multiplayer): First time playing this game and it was super interesting! We're going to play again next weekend now that we all have the game flow down. The game makese more thematic sense than some of the other complex games we're tried with a couple of exceptions. Thinking ahead is super important which gave me a bit of a #Lignum feeling to it. To have a really top score you would want to pick the top level trick you are going to go for from early on in the game.
#Take 5 + Take a Number (Physical, muliplayer x2): Had some friends over for a socially distanced night and they quite enjoyed Take 5. This is turning in to a good investment.
#Just One (Physiical, multiplayer): Same friends, same evening, also good fun. I think this game works best with 5+ players though. With 4 the danger of 2 people matching creates a lot of really cautious play.

Great week for gaming!

My expansion wishlist | Comment

cbrady748 2 months ago |

I don't really feel the need for expansions unless I've heard it dramatically improves the base game (as was the case for #Terraforming Mars: Prelude) or I really enjoyed the game (such as #Wingspan: European Expansion and #Mystic Vale: Twilight Garden Expansion). The upcoming release of #Wingspan: Oceania Expansion is on my radar as well as #Lorenzo il Magnifico: Houses of Renaissance Expansion only if we ever play out the base game.

What game are you planning to play next? (I'm hoping to get through my shelf of shame) | Comment

R0land1199 Supporter20 months ago |

We'll be playing Terraforming Mars with Terraforming Mars: Prelude and Terraforming Mars: Colonies on Thursday. First time with both for the group but I've played them solo a couple of times and I think they will enjoy it.

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Videos

Interactive Map Variant ➤ Terraforming Mars • Solo Mode【ツ】The Mountain Gamer image

Interactive Map Variant ➤ Terraforming Mars • Solo Mode【ツ】The Mountain Gamer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR_tcO49g3w) [Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Terraforming Mars: Big Box, Terraforming Mars]

by Steeve Leonard | updated 26 days ago

1 | 4 comments | [+]