Blasting Beyond the Bounds of Earth to Explore Pocket Mars
Set out to colonize a new planet and forge a path for humanity to survive beyond the edges of Earth with Pocket Mars.
There are plenty of space-related solo games on my shelf that have never made it to my table, so I decided to remedy that for at least one title! Pocket Mars is an intriguing small box game that promises deeper strategies and decisions. I wasn’t sure if it was exactly the sort of game I would enjoy, but like space exploration, new frontiers had to be explored!
Game Overview
Game Name: Pocket Mars
Publication Year: 2017
Designer: Michał Jagodziński
Artist: Jarosław Wajs
Publisher: Board&Dice
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Astronauts travel by spaceship to Mars, where prep modules can provide various benefits. Once on the planet, each individual helps build the infrastructure. There is a general focus on prepping spaceship modules and activating them at the right time to have the most impact.
First Play
December 26, 2021
Complexity
2
Latest Play
December 26, 2021
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
10 Minutes
High Score
18
Game Area
20" x 18"
Low Score
11
Into Outer Space
I enjoyed the various player colors and spaceships, mostly for the names that I could most certainly identify!
There weren’t a lot of components, yet wrapping my head around the concepts took a little longer than I expected. The rules might have been clearer, but I made it!
Although I had to move astronauts from Earth to Mars via this lovely spaceship, the prepped modules would be vital.
Cards form the central element with different colors and values. Actions often involve these cards, but where they are affect just what they can do. Lots to consider.
Unusual Solo Text
My first stop was to get an idea of the solo mode and what I needed to know ahead of time. The flavor text and little backstory provided a nice way to add immersion.
Yet I was rather confused when I read on: “We also recommend playing the multiplayer game several times before tackling the solo game.” Hold on. That’s not it!
Granted, I suppose recent years have seen leaps and bounds for solo, and this is an early printed edition.
I still struggled with the way this little pamphlet changed so much and expected me to understand the nuances.
Puzzling Through
There were some interesting concepts to make a small box game not as light as intended, yet I picked up on the main ways to advance pretty early on. Or I shuffled poorly. Ha!
Card colors corresponded with different buildings, and that played into my choices. Creating piles in ascending order provided extra bonuses, so I also kept that in mind.
Sadly, the artwork was totally lost on me and I didn’t even notice it depicted unique blueprints until I was done.
I enjoyed some of the decisions along the way! And it was anything but easy as the solo opponent kept winning.
Stacking the Cards
The various cards acted differently depending on how they entered play, which gave me a lot more decisions than I originally thought I would have! Definitely a neat idea.
I had no chance against the solo opponent for my first couple of tries. More experience was called for!
Then, I came across the solution to prevent the solo opponent from activating. While exciting for a moment, like the end of a puzzle, it quickly zapped my interest.
Rather than playing against an opponent, I was just finding the surefire way to block it from doing anything.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-4
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Standard Difficulty Level
Outcome: 11-20, 18-18, 16-15, 17-12 (2 Wins and 2 Losses)
Not to reveal too much of a strategic spoiler, but there was a reason why I switched my focus to a certain card color. It became far too easy, even when I didn’t have any blue cards to choose from. With very dry mechanics and a theme that didn’t really come through, I was glad to have tried this one… Yet I do believe it will be given a kind retirement in a new home. This one, sadly, wasn’t for me!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
6
Originality
Design & Theme
4
Quality
Components & Rules
8
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
3
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- The small box is portable and the amount of required table space is quite reasonable, even when the cards stack.
- Each play advances quickly with practically no downtime, aside from flipping cards or moving cubes around.
- Some choices are rather tricky in terms of preventing the solo opponent from moving ahead too quickly.
- All of the card colors are distinct with unique icons to make it easy to tell them apart from far away.
- Setup and cleanup are exceptionally quick since the majority of the components are cards and cubes to place.
- High-value spaces are very limited and it’s important to keep in mind where victory points may be scored.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Once the strategy of blocking the solo opponent is solved, winning mainly comes down to the luck of the draw.
- Making Mars inhabitable is an interesting theme, yet it disappears entirely amidst disconnected mechanics.
- The solo mode is presented in a way that almost discourages solo play, and it changes a lot of core elements.
- Not a lot of different choices are presented, even though there are a lot of unique cards and abilities in play.
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 15 points.
Win at least 1 game at the standard difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
What are your thoughts about Pocket Mars? Are there elements that remind you of any other solo games? I didn’t expect too much, although it was a little deflating when the solution was obvious after a couple of plays. At least I had a chance to have some fun with it, though! Every game has some sort of learning experience, too, so no wasted time here!
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