The Best Board Games Set on Mars 2026

Terraforming Mars is a strategic board game set in the 2400s, where players, representing giant corporations, embark on the colossal task of terraforming Mars. Sponsored by the World Government on Earth, each corporation competes to contribute most effectively to raising the planet's temperature, oxygen level, and ocean coverage to make Mars habitable. While players work together in the terraforming process, they also compete for victory points awarded for their contributions to terraforming, advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar system, and other notable achievements.

Colonizing is hard work! Relax with an exciting round of golf on Mars' Back-Nine. Navigate rocky obstacles and tricky terrain while trying to sink your specially designed golf ball in fewer shots than your opponents. With numerous hole layouts, the game offers plenty of thrilling challenges as you attempt to achieve a crater hole-in-one!

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.

Martian Dice offers a light-hearted and engaging dice game where you play as Martians on a mission to abduct Earth's inhabitants. The goal is simple: collect as many Chickens, Cows, and Humans as possible while avoiding the planet's military defenses. It's a game of risk, reward, and strategy packaged in quick, fun turns perfect for family game night or as a warm-up for a longer gaming session.

Super Motherload is a strategic board game set on Mars, where players lead a team of elite Pod pilots working for the Solarus Corporation to mine rare minerals from the planet's crust. This tile-laying, deck-building game combines resource management and strategy with dynamic gameplay inspired by video game mechanics.

Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition is an engaging engine-building game where players take on the roles of corporations with the ambitious goal of terraforming Mars. The game combines strategic resource management and project development to make the red planet habitable.

Players use special dice in a card-driven game to develop their corporations and transform Mars into a new home for humanity. The dice represent resources for playing cards and performing actions, which include increasing production, terraforming, and placing tiles on the board. Players earn victory points by terraforming Mars, placing tiles, and achieving awards and milestones, with the game ending when two out of three global parameters are met.

This version of Fluxx features a Mars invasion theme, drawing inspiration from classic alien invasion stories, including the original "War of the Worlds." Players become Martian invaders, facing off against pesky humans who attempt to thwart their victory. Guardians include the Mars, mother ship, flying saucer, and even tentacles, showcasing the quirky elements of the game.

Players are companies specializing in sending settlers to colonize the universe. They recruit settlers on Earth, transport them to Mars, and then to Ganymede, where the settlers' ships are launched. The game ends when a player has sent four settler ships into space, earning victory points for their launched ships and reputation.

Players start with a capital of 49 dollars and bid on properties on a 7x7 game board. Randomly drawn number cards are auctioned off one by one, with the highest bidder placing a chip on the corresponding space. Special cards allow players to choose where to place their chips and provide cash for their chips, paying out 7 dollars each, up to a maximum of 49 dollars. The winner is the first player to claim four consecutive spaces in any direction.

Mission: Red Planet is a strategic board game set in the year 1888, where Steampunk technology has enabled mankind to reach Mars. Designed by Bruno Faidutti and Bruno Cathala, this game immerses players in a competitive race to colonize Mars and exploit its valuable resources: the explosive element Celerium, the dense material Sylvanite, and water from Martian glaciers, which could potentially terraform the planet.

Robots are constructing a colony on Mars that must be completed before the settlers arrive. Players build "domes" for the settlers to live in and then guide them to their designated domes. Resources are generated and moved along pathways, and players must build new tiles and keep track of time to successfully complete the colony before the oxygen runs out.

Players take on the role of Martian invaders or human resistance fighters in a battle for the fate of Earth, inspired by the humorous 1962 trading card series. They deploy armies on a square grid battlefield, moving alien units or soldiers to defend positions and eliminate opponents. With simple mechanics and a unique narrative-driven campaign, players engage in tactical gameplay filled with action and emotional scenarios in the war-torn city of Greenville.

Nemesis: Lockdown is a standalone expansion to the popular board game Nemesis. This expansion transports players to an entirely new setting: a secret multi-level base on Mars. Lockdown maintains the semi-cooperative, highly cinematic gameplay of the original Nemesis, while introducing an array of new mechanics and features. Players will engage in exploring the base, gathering items, crafting, running, and fighting against other species, all while trying to fulfill their secret objectives - which may conflict with the goals of others.

Captain's log, entry 37: As we set out, I believed this mission was a foolish idea, but now that we are close, it seems worthwhile. I've reviewed the photos sent by the probe and there's definitely something hidden beneath the surface. The crew is a bit anxious, understandably, as this is unprecedented. In a few days, we will land, and I eagerly look forward to beginning the dig.

Players represent the UN forces of Earth, the military of Mars, the O.P.A. rebels, and the mysterious corporation Protogen Inc. The game focuses on politics, conquest, and intrigue, featuring key imagery from the series along with action points and events that allow players to maneuver fleets and influence. Each player has unique abilities, utilizing characters and events from The Expanse universe to gain control over the solar system.

On Mars is a complex and strategic board game that simulates the challenge of establishing and expanding a colony on Mars. Designed by Vital Lacerda, this game is known for its depth and intricate mechanics, appealing to players who enjoy a detailed and immersive strategic experience.

The Earth is no longer a perfect place to live. You'll play the role of one of the architects sent to Mars to create infrastructure for the first colonists arriving on the red planet.

Risk 2210 A.D. offers a thrilling twist on the classic game of Risk by transporting players into a futuristic battleground. In this not-so-distant future, the world is gripped by conflict waged not by human armies, but by formidable war machines known as MODs, led by commanders with unique powers. Command cards add a strategic layer, and the war expands beyond continents to include seas and even the moon.

Players either take on the role of carnival heroes using their unique talents to fend off an invasion of Martians or play as the invaders, deploying waves of Martian soldiers and flying saucers equipped with ray guns. The game features a modular board, eight unique carnival heroes, and various scenarios that enhance replayability and create a cinematic experience.

Martian Chess is a game for 2-4 players that uses Icehouse pieces and requires each player to have their own supply and a chessboard. Similar to chess, players take turns moving and capturing pieces, with each type of piece having its own movement rules. Key differences include determining ownership by location rather than color, scoring based victories instead of capturing pieces, and the ability to play with up to six players using geomorphic chessboard sections.

In the Mars mining colony ARES-6, crime pays off. Three factions compete for control over this corrupt new world, while players assume the role of mercenaries known as "freelancers," seeking to profit from the conflict and enhance their reputation. The game features a "Pay to Play" auction mechanism, where players must sacrifice their bidding power to place bids, navigating a web of shady contacts and dangerous missions to achieve their goals.

Planet Steam transports you to 2415, where the interplanetary federation has made strides in colonizing a new planet named "Steam." This planet, with its core heating up to 6,500°C, is ripe for the extraction of vital resources through a network of 42 shafts. As a player, you embody an ambitious entrepreneur in this steampunk-themed world, aiming to harness steam to extract resources, build your empire, and navigate the complexities of market dynamics.

Players compete to lead their factions into the future. Each faction has its own set of cards, buildings, upgrades, attacks, special abilities, and a screen behind which players play cards out of sight from their opponents. When an attack card is played, players reveal their screens and fight for control of the center of the table, earning points and the chance to directly attack opponents' bases.

The first expedition to Mars ended with a heroic struggle for survival, launching the first mission to colonize the planet, financed by four corporations. In Martians: A Story of Civilization, the human colony, led by corporate leaders, must explore the planet for essential resources, build new structures, and develop technologies suited to its conditions. These efforts are crucial not only for survival but also for providing a better standard of living for future generations raised by the colonists.

First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet transforms the intense survival experience of Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island to the desolate landscape of Mars, challenging players to overcome the relentless threats posed by the Red Planet. Leveraging an innovative app to guide gameplay, the game seamlessly blends traditional board game mechanics with modern technology, creating a dynamic and immersive experience.