Review: Terraforming Mars Big Box (Stronghold Games) – English

Terraforming Mars – one of the greatest board games of this century! Extensive, extreme and exceptional, Terraforming Mars is justifiably firmly classified as one of the favorites among gaming fans. In the game – and its many expansions – players engage in galactic ‘combat’ with the titular planet Mars (aptly named after the Roman god of war) in order to tame this seemingly untameable, chilly and red rock. Players take on the role of CEOs of a bunch of corporations (galactinationals?) to whom the (un)grateful task is outsourced of making Mars just a tad more livable for human kind. Oxygen levels must be raised, the temperature must rise and running water would not be a bad thing. The planet therefore needs to be ’terraformed’!

What is terraforming? Terraforming is the modification of surfaces, waters and atmosphere (actually the entire environment of a planet) to make a planet as livable as our own mother Earth. Quite ironic actually, because I think we – as a species – are trying very hard to deplete Earth as much as possible….

In any case: in Terraforming Mars players are going to cultivate Mars. Because Terraforming Mars is so loved by many players, the game itself has been rebuilt quite often in the form of many upgrades. The publisher of the game also thought it was time to terraform Terraforming Mars itself with this beautiful Big Box with an insert in which all the expansions, promos and even more will fit. That’s not even all: the ‘pièce de résistance’ is the collection with many 3D landscape tiles.

For fans of Terraforming Mars, this is not just a gadget, but a real must-have. The storage system is convenient and provides space and order to the many components. Players can easily sort the cards through the included dividers and separate trays make setting up the game a breeze. The 3D tiles really make the game pop on the table. Terraforming Terraforming Mars has been quite a succes story!