Mars Operation

About this board game

Mars Operation is a fast-paced resource-organization game for 1–6 players, with missions lasting about 15 minutes. Across four missions to Mars, players race to equip a spaceship with the exact resources required for terraforming.

Each round begins by rolling five colored dice and placing them on their matching resource cards. The dice show the precise quantities needed for crew, water, food, energy, and oxygen. The spaceship has limited room, so every resource must be loaded in the correct amount—no more and no less.

To meet the changing requirements, players manipulate their six cards by turning, flipping, and covering them. The challenge is to discover the exact combination of elements shown by the dice before anyone else completes their ship.

• Roll five colored resource dice.
• Turn, flip, and cover six cards to organize the ship.
• Match the required quantities exactly.
• Score points over four missions to Mars.

The first player to complete the full combination earns a Mars token worth 10 points. Other players can still earn a 5-point star if they have fulfilled the requirements of at least three dice, rewarding partial success even when another engineer finishes first.

With its combination of visual manipulation, precise resource matching, and simultaneous racing, Mars Operation challenges players to think quickly and organize efficiently. After four missions, the player with the most points wins and becomes the fastest engineer to prepare the expedition.