On Mars @ The Missing Piece

On Mars is a heavyweight strategy game by Vital Lacerda, known for his intricate, interconnected designs that reward careful planning and deep strategic thinking. This is one of his most ambitious and acclaimed titles—both a logistical puzzle and a thematic epic about building humanity’s first colony on the Red Planet.

Learning the game. This is a complex game with a BGG weight rating of 4.62. If you are new to On Mars, you must watch the how-to-play and at least part of the playthrough videos below. I will review the rules at the start.

Game Resources

• On Mars | Board Game | BoardGameGeek.
• How to Play On Mars - Official Tutorial from Gaming Rules!
• On Mars - Playthrough & Review.

Overview
Set in a near future where the first Mars missions have already landed, On Mars places you in the role of a corporate pioneer helping to develop the first self-sustaining colony. You'll construct buildings, develop technologies, manage supply chains, and coordinate actions between Mars orbit and the planet surface. The game’s signature mechanic—shifting between orbit and surface—forces players to plan around timing windows and long-term synergies.
Highlights include:

• Deep economic and scientific systems that interact in complex ways
• A dynamic turn structure that alternates between orbital planning and boots-on-the-ground execution

On Mars is best suited for players who enjoy games like Terraforming Mars, Ark Nova, or Lisboa, and who are up for a rewarding challenge. Expect a richly thematic, brain-burning experience where everything is connected—and every move matters.

A few important details:

• Please be on time!
• Street parking in residential areas around The Missing Piece is free, but you will probably have to park about 5 minutes away. Allow time to find parking and walk to the store.
• If you need to cancel, do so as soon as you know. People on the waitlist and playing that day will appreciate it! Signing up for this event means other people are counting on you to attend; board games have both a minimum and a maximum player count, so with limited seats available, I want to be sure that those seats actually have people in them. Last-minute cancellations (less than 24 hours), no-shows, and late arrivals (15+ minutes) without good reason will be marked as no-show for the event.
• Support The Missing Piece - Purchasing something isn't a requirement, but it's nice to do since we're using the space.