Terraforming Mars · Ares Expedition

Automa hybrid

An opponent that plays almost like a player.

15 automa cardsVersion 0.6

An automa to play Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition solo. It builds up its engine, terraforms Mars and scores points; a small deck of 15 cards decides its phases and its targets. Everything runs on cubes: its turn needs no arithmetic and asks the player for almost no decisions.

How it plays

One card per round

While the player picks a phase, the automa flips a card: it gives its phase and its target. Its deck gives it a style, with plenty of Production and Action, and three reactive cards: it strikes back, seizes the moment, or rushes the lagging parameter.

Cubes, no arithmetic

Every revealed phase earns it one copper, and 5 copper make one silver. Everything costs 1 silver: an oxygen or temperature step, an ocean or an engine step. Its turn takes seconds, without counting a single MC.

An engine that speeds up

In Development, it invests one silver in its engine; in Production, its engine pays back that many copper. Slow at first, it gains power as the game goes on, like a real player. But every engine step costs one silver that does not terraform.

It races the player for Mars

It raises oxygen, temperature and oceans, gains TR and scores VP in Construction. It places no forests. It terraforms alongside the player but plays to finish ahead, and it can end the game before the player is ready.

A round, for example

Before the round, the automa has 4 copper in its reserve and an engine at 2.

Planning

Player

Automa
IDevelopment

+1 copper: 5 copper, exchanged for 1 silver.

−1→

It spends it: engine 3, empty reserve.
IVProduction
+→

+1 copper, then 3 from its engine.

Reserve: 4 copper. One more and it gets a silver.

Three moves, no arithmetic. From Very easy to Very hard: only its starting production changes (1 to 5).

Versus the official solo

The base game's solo mode is a race against the clock. The hybrid automa turns it into a duel: a rival that terraforms for itself and scores points.

	Official solo	Hybrid automa
The goal	Terraform Mars alone before the 25 rounds are over: win or lose.	Finish ahead of an opponent that scores points.
The 2nd phase	A neutral deck of 5 phases, each once every 5 rounds: you can guess it.	A 15-card deck, with more Production and Action, and reactive cards: you read it rather than guess it.
Terraforming	Depending on the level, a boost to oxygen or temperature, worth no points to anyone.	It terraforms for itself: every step it takes scores it a point and is one step fewer for the player.
Game length	25 rounds, always.	Until Mars is terraformed: the stronger it is, the shorter the game.
The player's choices	The chosen phase only helps the player.	Production and Development also speed it up: every phase choice is a trade-off.

What you need

With the printed cards

The base game Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, with a player board and copper and silver cubes for the automa.
The 15 automa cards: 3 A4 sheets, with their backs and 3 optional reference cards.
Optionally, the player phase cards: 1 A4 sheet (5 cards), instead of the game's phase cards.
The rulebook, for the first game.

Or with the app

The base game, with its usual phase cards.
A phone, a tablet or a computer: the app draws the automa cards, counts its cubes and tells what to do on its board.
Nothing to print.

Open the app

Why player phase cards?

They are optional and replace the game's phase cards. For the player, they say the same thing in our own words: the ability and the bonus. On top of that, each one shows what the automa does when the phase is revealed. During the game, everything is on the table: no need to open the rulebook.

Rules and cards

6 Rulebook pages

The automa rulebook, as an A4 PDF: 6 pages of rules plus a reference page. The rules are written in French first; the English version will follow.

Coming soon

15 Automa cards

The automa deck, as an A4 PDF. Optional: 3 reference cards and 5 player phase cards.

Coming soon

The app

Game assistant

It draws the automa cards, counts its cubes, tells what to do on its board and keeps the scores. It works on a phone, a tablet or a computer. In French for now.

Open the app

Prototype v0.6

The values (5 copper for 1 silver, starting engine by level) are being tested. Game reports, shared on GitHub, will help tune them.