Antiquity of Mars

Billions of years ago… Mars was a flourishing planet teaming with life and vast seas. As the magnetic field over Mars weakened, radiation began to dry up the seas and solar winds caused the atmosphere to deplete. This in turn reduced the planet’s ability to maintain heat. After centuries of research, Mars’ leading scientists have developed a way to slow the depletion of oxygen and the cooling of the planet; however, it’s too little and far too late. It’s only a matter of time before the planet becomes completely uninhabitable. In this harsh environment, the few remaining races of Mars dangle from their last thread of existence.

Overview Each player will represent a leader of one of the remaining races of ancient Mars. They will struggle to maintain the morale of their populace, while helping to keep the planet survivable for as long as possible. Players will also need to maintain control of lands to provide food, water and other resources—a task which may require force. Players will take turns placing multi-use cards on action spaces. The action space chosen will determine which part of the player’s card is activated (political, civil, or military). As the game progresses, players will expand their influence to gain more powerful actions, develop technologies to help combat the planet’s condition, gather resources to help keep their populace happy, and train armies to maintain their lands and resources. Each race is equipped with a unique ability allowing for various approaches to victory.

—description from the designer