About:
Consoles: PC, Nintendo, Playstation, XBox
Released: 2023
Fixes: Resource Management — In Space!
Much like my series collaborators, I too finally remembered our neglected video game series, MAS Effect! I also had a change in console status, as I’ve gained a Switch since my previous post, and I’m always looking for game recs.
For this installment, we’re going to do what many a billionaire aspire to do, despite their inability to design rustproof vehicles for our current planet: WE’RE GOING TO MARS. As Terraformers!
The Download
The game’s fairly straightforward: it’s a turn-based resource management game, but on Mars! I’ve seen it likened to a solo player Settlers of Catan. I’d also say that it’s slightly boring, but in a way that I can’t stop playing.
You can choose the objective of your campaign, such as making Mars habitable or just mining the shizz out of it. Each year (i.e., turn), there are certain actions that you’re able to take to work towards your goal. There’s a lot of luck involved, since you’re at the mercy of the cards you pull, but there’s a bit of strategy too, to accomplish everything while keeping your inhabitants happy.
It’s-A Me, [Protagonist]!
The gamer’s role is…. a bit nebulous. Maybe a nameless conglomerate that controls everything. (Come to think of it, you might be doing a communism, since you’re in charge of the government and the literal means of production.) You don’t actually exist in-game, since a single campaign can span the greater part of a century. But you do periodically choose a new leader with their own specialties and perks — some better suited for your objective than others.
NPCs: Notable Paramours & Chums
Zero romances, because love is not a resource that we’re managing! (There actually are hearts in the game, but they signify comfort of living in a city.)
Finish Them!
There’s really no villain, other than the relentless march of time? As the years pass, public expectations will keep rising, so you’ll need to prioritize keeping them happy for your campaign to stay alive.
Leveled Up
The majority of the buildings that you construct are functional: harvesting and generating resources. But the Martians don’t just yearn for the mines; you can also build luxury facilities like vineyards and beach resorts. Then there’s, of course, the terraforming aspect: WILDLIFE. Literally lions (and not tigers) and bears, oh my!
The game will also occasionally present a dilemma with two or three possible solutions, and you have to pick the best course of action. Even though my personal inclination is usually WHY CHOOSE, LET’S HAVE THEM ALL, I actually find this enjoyable from a strategy standpoint.
You Have Died Of Dysentery
THE GREEN PATH. MY NEMESIS. This campaign’s objective is to spread life, but that effectively means also needing to raise environment conditions high enough to sustain life first. Of all the different paths, this is the one that I regularly fail at. And when I do succeed, it takes nearly double the time to complete (4 hours, compared to around 2 hours otherwise).
Also, for such a simple game, it does crash on Switch for me at least once during a campaign. Maybe the lesson is that I shouldn’t be playing it for hours on end, but ALAS.
Press “F” To Pay Respects
Not a feature of the game itself, but what got me hooked was playing the demo. I love a demo! I imagine it’s very annoying and cumbersome to create a separate and weakened version of a game, but I appreciate trying out a game before committing.
Why You Should Pick Up The Controller
This is actually the very first Switch game I’ve ever purchased! And even then, I hemmed and hawed at whether I’d get $12.55 worth of enjoyment out of it. After logging in 70+ hours in the past six months (which is not terrible, but also almost 2 full work weeks), I can definitively say….. YES. Even though I’ve already maxed out on the rewards, I still find myself pulled back into Terraformers‘ orbit.
After The Credits
- Given the aforementioned frugalness, it might not be surprising that this is also the first time I purchased a DLC. (I did still check the price history to see if a sale was worth waiting for, and it’s only ever gone down by one whole dollar.) Terraformers: New Frontiers introduces planetary exploration, which is slightly more complicated than the main game tasks.
- Another terraforming game that I haven’t tried but former FYA writer Megan No H speaks highly of is Planet Crafter, which is currently only available for the PC.
Have you played Terraformers? Do you have any suggestions for a future MAS Effect? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
