Terraforming Mars: Venus Next – Colonize the Second Planet

Build flying cities, tame the greenhouse effect, and bring life to Venus's upper atmosphere in the second Terraforming Mars expansion.

Review — Watch First

Terraforming Mars: Venus Next is the second expansion for the popular board game Terraforming Mars, and the first to introduce a whole new terraforming target beyond the Red Planet itself. Players take on the challenge of colonizing Venus, the second planet from the sun, building flying cities, reducing the greenhouse effect, and introducing life to Venus's upper atmosphere — all while competing to lead their corporation to greatness.

The expansion adds a new side board dedicated entirely to Venus, along with 49 new project cards and 5 new corporations built around the Venus theme. A new terraforming parameter — the Venus Scale — tracks progress on making the planet habitable, adding a genuine third dimension of strategy alongside Mars's existing temperature, oxygen, and ocean parameters.

Reviewers who initially underestimated Venus Next have come around on it over time — its simplicity hides real depth, and while it doesn't transform Terraforming Mars into something new, it improves the game in subtle, meaningful ways that reward players who commit to the strategy.

What Does Venus Next Add?

How Does It Play?

With Venus Next added, players must now consider the Venus Scale alongside Mars's existing terraforming parameters. Increasing the Venus Scale provides benefits and victory points, giving players a genuine alternative avenue for scoring beyond the traditional temperature, oxygen, and ocean tracks.

The new project cards introduce mechanics that specifically relate to Venus, such as building floating cities and addressing the greenhouse effect. With the inclusion of Venus, players have more strategic choices and must balance their efforts between Mars and Venus — a genuine expansion of the decision space rather than simply more cards doing the same things.

The expansion integrates smoothly with the base game, adding depth and new strategic options without overwhelming players with complexity. That said, the additional layer of strategy may extend playing time somewhat, and can feel like more to track for players who prefer the streamlined simplicity of the base game alone.

Rating Breakdown

Pros & Cons

Who Is This Expansion For?