Magic Maze on Mars
£35.99
Magic Maze on Mars at a Glance
| Game Type Fantasy Maze Cooperative Modular Board Real Time Play Science Fiction | Play Time 15 mins | Skill/Complexity (2 - 5) Light - Medium...ish |
| Age 8+ | Publisher(s) Sit Down! | Published 2019 |
| Categories Family / Teens / 8+ Year Olds | Players 1 - 6 | Rules Manual Official Rules PDF |
| Our Rating 9/10 | Cost Approx $29.95 | Related Magic Maze Magic Maze Kids |
Earthlings are arriving to Mars without a much needed colony area built up. Robots (players) must build for the colony while creating domes for the earthling settlers to live and then guide these settlers as quick as possible before time runs out for them.
If time runs out, so does oxygen, and as we know earthling settlers cannot survive without that valuable oxygen……
About – Description
Magic Maze on Mars was first published in 2019 by Sit Down! games and designed by Kasper Lapp after making a great success of the original Magic Maze and the expansions that followed (Hidden Roles & Maximum Security).
Magic Maze on Mars is a cooperative real time game which means you all either win or lose as a team, and anyone at any point can take an action within the game. The board is modular which basically means tiles are placed on the table rather than a full board and these are built on each other.
An aspect of this game that makes it fun, frustrating or both is the communication restriction rule. It could be your neighbors turn to move but he/she doesn’t know and you’re limited on how you can let the know….arrgh!
It’s worth saying a few words about the original Magic Maze……..
Magic Maze vs Magic Maze on Mars
The main mechanics of both versions are the same (i.e., cooperative, real time play, tile placement and other aspects). However, in other ways they’re very different in gameplay and rule variations.
There’s too much to compare and mention here (that’s for a comparison article).
Both are excellent games in their own ways!
Who’s it best suited for?
Magic Maze on Mars is a family type game with a plus. Just about anyone can play if it’s their type of game, whether new to board games or a gamer.
The recommended age of play (8+) seems about right and we don’t feel many kids are going to connect with it that are below age 10, although a few that are younger may.
The game is about fun with some added frustration, and with the short play time of 15 minutes or more it makes it ideal for playing with a few friends (4 people is perfect). You can also play it solitaire!
If you don’t like games that are fast playing and require taking actions as quick as possible while being timed and having a communication restriction, then you may not get on well with MMoM. If you enjoy or wish to have a bash at these challenging elements then you’re good to go!
Skill/Complexity
Magic Maze on Mars is not an overly complex game, although it does require some skill. The skill required is to understand the next actions and who is to take them.
The first level begins with players having the ability to talk among each other and then each other level of the game increases the difficulty level. This progression of the game really helps it not to be so difficult at first and gives players time to get to know how the game functions.
Gameplay – How does it Play Out?
Magic Maze on Mars is fast, frantic and fun!
After choosing one of the five missions/modules the game begins with one Mars tile and each player having their own action tile. Each players action tile represents what they can do within the game at any point. It’s realtime play so anyone can take an action at any point which keeps it interactive.
After dealing the action tiles and placing the Mars tile the timer gets flipped and Nobody can Communicate. You do have a large do something pawn that can be placed on a section of a communication board which really helps reduce some lack of communication frustration.
It’s now time to get the Colonist pawn or pawns (depending on which module being played) around the board (tiles) and get them to the domes. You move around the tiles via resources that coincide with a pawn and players action tile then move to other tiles to complete the mission.
If players complete the mission without the timer running out, they all Win! If the timer runs out then unfortunately they all lose together.
That’s the basics…..
As you progress through the 6 modules more cool components are added to the game that may help you or hinder your progress, which all increases the difficulty level. The difficulty level can also be increased more when adding any of the 8 X tiles and expands the game.
It does get quite frantic and it’s very engaging. The lack of communication and real time play makes the game what it is.
Likes & Dislikes
- Great theme, especially compared to the original Magic Maze.
- Progressive modules that helps learning the game, changes gameplay and difficult level.
- Fast paced makes it erratic and fun.
- Extremely interactive in a weird non-speaking way.
- A lot of fun and different.
- Solid components.
- Replayability is fair.
- Some of the likes could be dislikes for players that can’t not speak and others that cannot deal with the speed of play.
There isn’t really a lot to dislike about magic Maze on Mars and a lot of cool stuff going on. It’s more about if the mechanics suit you and your group rather than the game itself!
Final Thoughts
We really liked the original Magic Maze and this version is just as good with various aspects working better and others differently, although the main mechanics remain the same.
It’s a board game that will have you on the edge of your seats with arms all over the place, especially when the timer is running out.
It’s a fast and fun time filler!
We imagine an expansion will soon come as it did with the original Magic Maze. The base game could definitely host an expansion.
