In the not so distant future, mankind has finally decided to spread beyond the boundaries of our world. The United Nations is giving out subsidies to any corporation who will invest time and money into the terraforming of the great red planet. Great prestige and opportunities await the company which makes the biggest impact on making Mars habitable. In Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, each player will take on the role of a corporation working to build oceans, raise the temperature, and increase the oxygen level in Mars atmosphere. This is accomplished during simultaneous play, through phases chosen by each of the players. Each player will have a hand full of project cards which they will build and utilize in order to race their fellow entrepreneurs and gain the highest Terraforming Rating.
Ares Expedition: Foundations contains additional player boards, cubes, and phase cards so that Ares Expedition can be played with up to six players. This expansion also includes two additional game boards. One is a larger score track. The other adds a fourth terraforming metric: infrastructure. Additionally, there are new project cards that involve the new terraforming metric and a new phase card.