Mission: Red Planet (Second/Third Edition)^*

Mission: Red Planet (Second Edition) is a strategic board game set in a Victorian-era Earth, where players head mining corporations competing to exploit Mars' newfound resources.

Gameplay Overview

• Resource Acquisition: Aim to harvest celerium, sylvanite, and ice from Mars, each providing significant benefits.
• Character Utilization: Command a team of nine professionals, each with unique skills affecting space travel and resource collection.
• Rounds and Actions: The game spans ten rounds, where players secretly deploy character cards to determine actions and astronaut placement on spaceships.

Special Features

• Dynamic Resource Discovery: Resource types in each Martian region are unknown until an astronaut arrives.
• Point Collection: Resources are tallied for points at three intervals, with secret mission cards potentially adding more points.
• Enhanced Gameplay: The 2015 edition includes components for up to six players, special two-player rules, new action cards, and revised mission/discovery cards.
• New Exploration Areas: Introduces Mars' moon, Phobos, as a new zone for exploration.

Conclusion

Mission: Red Planet (Second Edition) offers a rich blend of strategic planning and competitive gameplay, ideal for players who enjoy resource management and area control mechanics, all set against a backdrop of space exploration and industrial intrigue.