Terraforming Mars - Ares Expedition: Discovery

Terraforming Mars - Ares Expedition: Discovery introduces four significant new mechanics to the base Ares Expedition experience: Awards, Milestones, upgraded phase cards, and wild tags. This expansion is designed to add layers of strategic depth and endgame scoring variety, giving players more paths to victory as they compete to make the Red Planet habitable.

Awards provide end-game scoring opportunities that are revealed at the start of the session, allowing you to plan your engine toward specific goals like having the most of a particular resource or tag. Milestones, on the other hand, reward players who are the first to achieve specific in-game accomplishments, granting immediate victory points. Additionally, the introduction of wild tags offers more flexibility when playing project cards and fulfilling complex requirements.

One of the most impactful additions is the ability to upgrade your phase cards. Through new project and corporation cards, you can replace your standard phase cards with advanced versions. Each phase card has two different upgrade options, allowing you to tailor your action deck to your specific strategy. These upgrades provide better bonuses whenever you choose that phase, making your engine more efficient and powerful as the game progresses.

Key Features:

• Milestones and Awards: Introduces competitive mid-game goals and end-game scoring objectives that provide new ways to earn victory points and guide your strategy.
• Upgradeable Phase Cards: New corporation and project cards allow you to enhance your action deck with more powerful versions of the standard phase cards.
• Wild Tags: Adds a new tag type to the game that can represent any tag when fulfilling requirements, providing much-needed versatility for complex engine building.
• Expanded Project and Corporation Decks: Features a fresh array of cards that integrate seamlessly with the new mechanics and offer unique opportunities for growth.
• Increased Tactical Depth: Enhances the core Ares Expedition gameplay without significantly adding to the playtime, keeping the experience fast and engaging.