When does Terraforming Mars get good?

The first 3 hours are a test. In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (61%); after 20h it's 1 in 3 (33%). The opening is criticised more than in 89% of games we track.

All games

Strategy

Terraforming Mars

Oct 17, 2018 Steam: Mostly Positive

The first 3 hours are a test

Gets good by 3h almost every game dips in hours 2–3

Started playing 68% of owners

Steam reviews 70% positive of 7,280

What the data shows

In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (61%); after 20h it's 1 in 3 (33%).
The opening is criticised more than in 89% of games we track.
The game has no story achievements, so drop-off points can't be measured.
Only 68% of owners have even the first achievement — the rest barely played.

When it gets good

Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.

before it gets good opening up fully opened up

Based on all 7,313 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 300 reviews: 37.4h for positive, 36.2h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.

Where players quit

Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (68.1% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

This game has no story achievements, so we can't tell where players quit.

All achievements (40)

story milestone ending side

Prop-M Rover Get a production of M€ of 10 or more in a single game 100%
It's a steal! Pay for a card using only Steel or Titanium 95%
Changing the Planet Get a Terraforming Rating of 40 in a single game, before the end game 89%
Winner Winner Terraformer Get 15 Victory Points or more in a single game 83%
New Home Place 5 City Tiles in a single game 79%
Sojourner Get a production of Heat of 10 or more in a single game 78%
Beagle 2 Get a production of Energy of 10 or more in a single game 73%
Project Manager Play 30 cards in a single game 70%
Curiosity Get a production of Plants of 10 or more in a single game 66%
Collector Collect 10 resource on a single card in a single game 66%
No Longer Red Place 12 Greenery Tiles in a single game 63%
First Journey Finish the tutorial 60%
Biggest Reward Win all 3 awards in a single game 57%
Final touch On Prelude, be the originator of the last ocean and the last increase in temperature and oxygen levels in the same game. 42%
Money money On Prelude, achieve a production of M$+20 41%
Most Achievements Claim all 3 milestones in a single game 40%
Master Reach a total score of 100 on Hellas or Elysium. 37%
Landlord Place all types of tiles at least once 37%
Spirit Get a production of Steel of 10 or more in a single game 35%
Variety Expert Use all Standard Project in a single game 35%
Self-sufficient On Prelude, have a minimum production of 4 in everything 27%
Acquired knowledge Win a Prelude game in solo mode 18%
Grand champion Win all 3 Awards in a Hellas game AND in an Elysium game 18%
Terraformer Win 5 solo game 16%
Opportunity Get a production of Titanium of 10 or more in a single game 15%
Ultimate success Validate 3 Miletones in a Hellas game AND in an Elysium game 11%
Hellenic Elysium Win a Hellas game and an Elysium game in solo mode 11%
Frequent tester Play all Prelude cards (corporation, prelude phase and game card) at least once 10%
Team Effort Win 10 online games 9.0%
The Shepherd's tiles Finish a Venus Next game after having built the Stratopolis and the Maxwell Base on their reserved slots. 7.2%
Determined Win 10 Hellas OR Elysium games online 6.8%
Solar System Interact once with at least 5 differents Colony Tiles (trade or build). 6.6%
Birth of Venus Increase the Venus scale 100 times in all games, using the new standard Project or the cards. 6.3%
Venusian In a single online Venus Next game, validate the new Hoverlord Milestone and the new Venuphile Reward, then win the game. 6.2%
Head in the clouds Win a Venus Next game in solo mode. 4.7%
Big Fish Trade 5 times with a Colony Tile with its production marker at maximum. 4.4%
Trading Legend Make 60 trades in any game, with any Colony Tile. 3.7%
Mad Builder Finish a game having built 5 colonies. 3.5%
Consultant Play all Venus Next corporations at least once in online games. 2.3%
Colonisation Win 5 online games with the Colonies extension. 1.5%

Steam page Updated: 2026-10-19.