Terraforming Mars - Promo Kit 2
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You've played fifty games, you know the corporations by heart. Tonight you draw one you've never seen before. Everyone stares at you as you read the card: do you want to try it or not?
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Three corporations designed by players, chosen from 400 proposals
In 2018, BoardGameGeek launched a contest: send us your corporation for Terraforming Mars. Over 400 proposals were received. Three won: Arcadian Communities (TheUbiquitous), Splice Tactical Genomics (Acleveralias), Recyclon (Dragonborn110). Isaac Fryxelius illustrated them, and FryxGames published them as an official promo.
These are three corporation cards that are added to the base deck. Each offers a different starting power and permanent ability than the standard ones. They are drafted normally and played like the others. They change the game's start, not the rules.
What they say abroad
"Terraforming Mars: BGG User-Created Corporation Pack is a promo for Terraforming Mars consisting of three corporations created by users of BGG."
— FryxGames
Terraforming Mars has sold millions of copies, but its longevity also depends on small expansions like this: low-cost variety, unchanged depth.
— FroGames
Terraforming Mars - Promo Kit 2 (Terraforming Mars: BGG User-Created Corporation Pack)
Terraforming Mars has official solo rules (you play against the generation timer). The three corporations are used exactly as in multiplayer, no modifications. The experience is complete, but it lacks the tension of the initial draft and the race for premium tiles.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and game sessionsThe three corporations
Three new approaches to colonize Mars
Arcadian Communities
Specializes in orbital cities. You start with three city cards in hand and get bonuses every time you play one. Strategy: fill space with colonies instead of focusing on the planet.
Splice Tactical Genomics
Aggressive bioengineering: you modify microbes and animals to accelerate terraforming. You start with a laboratory and discounts on scientific cards. Perfect for biological engines.
Recyclon
Converts discarded cards into resources. Every time someone plays a card, you recover material from the discard pile. Slow but unstoppable engine.
Full compatibility
They mix with the standard corporation deck. They work with all expansions (Prelude, Colonies, Turmoil). No rule changes, no extra components besides the three cards.
Recommended sleeves 3 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with clear sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 63.5 × 88.8 mm | 3 |
| Total cards | 3 |
🎲How to PlayThe rules in four steps▼
How to Play
Identical to the Base Game
There are no new rules. Choose a corporation, play the standard game.
Shuffle the three promo cards into the corporation deck. Each player drafts one. The three new corporations have different starting powers and permanent abilities, but are chosen using the same rules as the base game.
Follow the normal flow of Terraforming Mars: standard actions, project cards, production, generations. Your corporation offers specific bonuses or discounts, like all the others.
Each corporation rewards a type of strategy: orbital cities, science cards, waste recycling. Your goal is to build an engine that leverages that bonus better than others.
Standard game end: point counting (terraform rating + cities + forests + awards + milestones). The first time with a new corporation you often lose. The second time you know how to play it.
⏱️Your First GameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table (if you use one of these three)
Not the rules. The experience.
You draw an unknown corporation
Standard Terraforming Mars setup, but in the corporation deck there are three cards no one knows by heart. You read the text. You wonder if it works. You decide whether to risk it or take the one you already know.
You realize part of the engine is missing
Arcadian Communities needs cities. Splice wants microbes. Recyclon needs others to discard cards. The first third of the game is different: you have to build the foundations for a power you've never tested.
The engine starts, maybe
Mid-game, the corporation begins to bear fruit. Recyclon accumulates resources from others' discards. Splice triggers biological combos. Arcadian places orbital cities. Or maybe not: perhaps the cards you needed didn't come out.
Someone asks how it works
Another player notices you're doing something strange. They ask you to reread your corporation. You realize you misinterpreted a line of text. Everyone laughs. You keep going anyway.
End: did it work or not?
The game ends as Terraforming Mars games always do: point counting, cities, forests, awards. Did your new corporation win? Maybe. Or maybe you just learned how to play it next time.
🐸What to Know BeforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
What to Know Beforehand
Three things to know
Requires the base game
It is not a standalone expansion. You need Terraforming Mars base (or a Big Box that includes it) to play. These are just three corporation cards to add to the deck.
Original version has English text
The official promo was released in English. This Ghenos Games edition is in Italian. The three cards have medium-long text: if you play with people who don't read English, check which version you are buying.
Balance to be tested
These corporations were created by fans, then validated by Fryxelius. They haven't had thousands of playtest games like those in the base game. Some combos might turn out stronger or weaker than expected: accept this as part of the fun.
🏆Victory and DefeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
Victory and defeat (identical to the base game)
There are no special conditions. You win and lose as in standard Terraforming Mars.
Victory
- Highest score at the end of the game (terraform rating + victory points from cards, cities, forests, awards, milestones)
- Maximizing your corporation's power to accumulate more points than opponents
- In solo play: complete terraforming within 14 generations (or the limit you chose)
Defeat
- Lower score than other players because you did not build an efficient engine
- Choosing a new corporation without understanding how to exploit its power
- In solo play: fail to complete terraforming within the generation timer
Three corporations that no one else at the table knows by heart. The only real advantage in a game where everyone knows everything.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Terraforming Mars - Promo Kit 2 (Terraforming Mars: BGG User-Created Corporation Pack)
Do I need other expansions or just the base game?
Only the Terraforming Mars base game is needed. The three corporations also work with Prelude, Colonies, Turmoil, and other expansions, but do not require them. They are cards added to the standard corporation deck.
Are these corporations stronger than those in the base game?
No. They have been balanced to be at the same power level. Some combos might turn out stronger or weaker depending on the initial draft and available cards, but they are not designed to dominate.
What mechanics does Terraforming Mars - Promo Kit 2 use?
Hand management (manage a hand of project cards), drafting (choose cards from a shared pool), tile placement (place cities and forests on Mars), asymmetric powers (each corporation has unique abilities). Identical to the base game.
Can they be used in solo play?
Yes. The solo rules for Terraforming Mars do not change: you play against the generation timer. The three corporations are used normally; choose your preferred one at the start and leverage its power to complete terraforming in time.
Is it available in Italian?
Yes. This is the Italian Ghenos Games edition, with the three cards translated. The original promo was in English; this version has all text in Italian.
The People Behind the Game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Terraforming Mars - Promo Kit 2 is a promo expansion for 1-5 players, ages 12+, duration 120 minutes. It includes three corporations created by the BoardGameGeek community and selected from over 400 proposals: Arcadian Communities, Splice Tactical Genomics, and Recyclon. Each corporation offers new asymmetric powers, compatible with the base game and all expansions. It uses hand management, drafting, and tile placement like standard Terraforming Mars. Designed by fans TheUbiquitous, Acleveralias, and Dragonborn110, illustrated by Isaac Fryxelius, published by FryxGames and Ghenos Games. Available on FroGames.it.
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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