Terraforming Mars: Prelude – Skip the Slow Start 🚀🔴

Terraforming Mars: Prelude, designed by Jacob Fryxelius (Stronghold Games), is an expansion for Terraforming Mars that gives every corporation a head start. You need the Terraforming Mars base game to play.

Every game of Terraforming Mars starts with building up your engine. Prelude lets you begin with that engine already running. During setup, each player is dealt 4 Prelude cards and keeps 2 – at the same time as choosing a corporation and starting project cards, and at no cost. After all corporations have been played and starting cards paid for, each player in turn plays their two Prelude cards and discards the other two. Prelude cards bring production, resources, terraforming steps or special effects right from the start. They work like green cards and stay in play with their tags visible. The whole setup still counts as generation 1, so the game moves faster. The box also contains 5 new corporations and 7 new project cards, which you shuffle into the corporation and project decks – you can use them even when you play without Prelude cards. Solo players have 12 generations instead of 14 when using Prelude, and the rules add a new TR solo variant with the Buffer Gas standard project.

🚀 35 Prelude Cards

Keep 2 of 4.

🏢 5 Corporations

New starting options.

📋 7 Project Cards

Shuffle into the deck.

⏩ Faster Games

Engines start early.

Why You'll Love It:

• 🔴 For Terraforming Mars: base game required.
• 🧩 Easy to Add: short setup step.
• 🤖 Solo Rules: incl. TR solo variant. More ideas among our strategy games.

Quick facts

• Players: 1–5 (with the base game)
• Designer: Jacob Fryxelius
• Publisher: Stronghold Games
• Type: expansion – requires Terraforming Mars
• Language: English
• Contents: 35 Prelude cards, 5 corporations, 7 project cards, rules

How many Prelude cards does each player use? You are dealt 4, keep 2 and play both at the start.
Can I use the new corporations without Prelude cards? Yes – the rules allow it.

Kick-start your corporation and get Mars moving from the first generation. 🚀

⚠️ Warning: Choking hazard – small parts. Not for children under 3 years.