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Best games like Terraforming Mars (2026): if your favorite part of Terraforming Mars is the moment your engine finally clicks and every card you play makes the next one cheaper, these six games deliver that same feeling with a different theme, length or player count. Some are lighter and faster, one is bigger and heavier, and one fits in a pocket. We grouped them by what each one borrows from the red planet, and every box below was in stock on Amazon this week.
Closest match for Terraforming Mars fans: Ark Nova
Ark Nova swaps corporations for zoos but keeps the huge deck of unique cards, the tags that reward focus and the slow climb from a weak start to a powerful finish. If you love the card combos in Terraforming Mars more than the shared map, start here.
Price band: $30+ (about $75) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Games like Terraforming Mars at a glance
From a 15-minute card game to a two-hour zoo builder.
- Closest overall: Ark Nova — big card combos, 1–4 players (about $75)
- Faster engine: Gizmos — chain-reaction machines in about 45 minutes (about $45)
- Science theme: Evolution — adapt species to survive, 2–6 (about $49)
- Pocket size: Jump Drive — space empire card game, 2–4 (about $23)
What Terraforming Mars fans usually want next
Terraforming Mars mixes three ideas: a hand of cards with tags that combo together, an economy that grows every generation, and a shared race to change the planet. Most fans are hooked by the first two. So the best next games keep the card engine and the feeling of growth, then change the length or the theme. Ask your group one question before you buy: did they enjoy the two-hour session, or did they wish it were shorter? The answer points you to the top or the bottom of this list. For more games built around stacking abilities, see our engine-building board games guide.
1. Ark Nova — the deepest card engine after Terraforming Mars
Players: 1–4 (ages 14+) · Price band: $30+ (about $75) · Pick for: The deepest card engine after Terraforming Mars · See Ark Nova on Amazon
Each player builds a zoo on a personal map, places enclosures, houses animals and supports conservation projects. More than 250 unique cards carry icons for continents and animal types, and matching those icons unlocks stronger plays, very much like Terraforming Mars tags.
The clever part is the row of five action cards. The action you just used drops to the weakest position, so you are always trading power against timing. Expect two hours or more at four players.
Skip it if: your group prefers games under an hour. Ark Nova is the longest and most involved choice here.
2. Gizmos — the fastest way to scratch the engine itch
Players: 2–4 (ages 14+) · Price band: $30+ (about $45) · Pick for: The fastest way to scratch the engine itch · See Gizmos on Amazon
Gizmos boils the engine idea down to marbles and machines. You collect four colors of energy from a dispenser, spend them to build gizmo cards, and each gizmo triggers when you take a certain action. Build the right ones and a single turn sets off a chain of free energy, points and extra builds.
It plays in under an hour and teaches in ten minutes, which makes it a good weeknight swap when nobody wants a full evening.
Skip it if: you want a big shared board. Gizmos is all about your own personal machine.
3. Evolution — for players who loved the science side
Players: 2–6 (ages 12+) · Price band: $30+ (about $49) · Pick for: For players who loved the science side · See Evolution on Amazon
Instead of building a planet, you build species. Cards become traits such as long necks, horns or burrowing, and each round your species compete for a limited food supply at a shared watering hole. Carnivores can hunt other players, so the ecosystem keeps shifting.
It seats six, so it covers bigger groups than Terraforming Mars does comfortably.
Skip it if: direct conflict bothers your table. Predators attacking your species is a core part of the game.
4. Everdell — a cozier engine with a gorgeous table presence
Players: 1–4 (ages 13+) · Price band: $30+ (about $75) · Pick for: A cozier engine with a gorgeous table presence · See Everdell on Amazon
Woodland critters build a city of up to 15 cards beneath a three-dimensional tree. Constructions and critters pair up, so the right building lets you place a matching critter for free, and production cards pay out again as seasons change.
The engine grows across four seasons, giving the same sense of a slow start and a big finish that Terraforming Mars players enjoy.
Skip it if: you dislike worker placement. Everdell mixes card play with placing workers on shared spaces.
5. Jump Drive — Terraforming-style combos in 20 minutes
Players: 2–4 (ages 13+) · Price band: $20–$30 (about $23) · Pick for: Terraforming-style combos in 20 minutes · See Jump Drive on Amazon
Jump Drive is a fast card game from the Race for the Galaxy family. Each turn everyone secretly chooses to develop technology or settle planets, then pays with cards from hand. Points and income snowball quickly, and a game lasts about 20 minutes.
It is the cheapest pick here and fits in a jacket pocket, which makes it a good travel companion for a space fan.
Skip it if: you want a board, pieces and a long game. This is a small, quick deck of cards.
6. Power Grid Recharged — the economic race without the card text
Players: 2–6 (ages 12+) · Price band: $30+ (about $50) · Pick for: The economic race without the card text · See Power Grid Recharged on Amazon
If the money side of Terraforming Mars is what you love, Power Grid focuses on it. You auction power plants, buy fuel from a market that gets pricier as demand rises and expand a network of cities. Turn order favors whoever is behind, so the race stays tight.
There are almost no special card abilities to read, which suits players who like math more than combos.
Skip it if: your group dislikes auctions or counting money.
Pick by what you liked about the red planet
| If you liked… | Try | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Combos between tagged cards | Ark Nova | Icons and conditions work the same way |
| Big turns that trigger everything | Gizmos | Chain reactions are the whole game |
| Science and nature theme | Evolution | Species adapt as the food supply changes |
| Slow build to a strong finish | Everdell | Four seasons of growth |
| Fast play on a weeknight | Jump Drive | Same snowball feeling in 20 minutes |
| Running the economy | Power Grid Recharged | Auctions and fuel markets |
Before you buy a second big engine game
- Check the box length. Ark Nova and Terraforming Mars both run long, so owning both suits groups that play every week.
- Consider the solo modes. Ark Nova and Everdell both include solo rules if you often play alone.
- Think about who teaches. Gizmos and Jump Drive are easy to explain, while Ark Nova works best when one player reads the rulebook first.
- Want more wildlife themes? Our games like Wingspan list covers calmer card engines.
Games like Terraforming Mars: quick answers
What game is most like Terraforming Mars?
Ark Nova is the closest. It keeps the large deck of unique cards, the icons that reward focus and the long, satisfying build.
Is there a shorter game like Terraforming Mars?
Gizmos gives a similar engine-building rush in under an hour, and Jump Drive does it in about 20 minutes.
Which one works for six players?
Evolution and Power Grid Recharged both seat up to six.
