Terraforming Mars has been one of the most popular board games in the world since its release in 2016. Millions of words have probably sung its praises by now. The gameplay is tight, and it oozes theme. It stills sits in Board Game Geek’s Top Five with over 75,000 votes.
But there is one common criticism leveled at TM, the art. Many people think the art is subpar and uninspired. I might agree with that. The art is not as a good as other games. But I think the art is part of the charm and theme.
TM puts players in the roles of CEOs running organizations developing projects to make Mars habitable for humanity. This is not the job of a smuggler hiding from bandits in an asteroid field or a valiant captain fending off an alien invasion. CEOs go into battle with PowerPoint, not plasma rifles.
The cards just scream “synergy” and “recontextualize the market.”
I want to go on record as saying I think the art in Terraforming Mars is perfect for Terraforming Mars. It works because you are running a boring corporation looking to turn a profit. This is not some slick cyberpunk future where corporations hire mercenaries to blow up rival factories. This is a game about bunch of middle managers pushing their pet projects to upper management who in turn are advising the CEO on the company’s direction.
The Keasy Depot 