Buzz
As Surviving Mars—Paradox Interactive and Haemimont Games’ brilliant take on the city-building genre—marks its third anniversary, the game is getting a fresh update with a new developer (Abstraction Games), a new expansion set for release later this year, and two major updates today (including a free tourism expansion and a paid building pack). Oh, and did I mention it's free right now?
Visit the Epic Games store to grab the base version of Surviving Mars for absolutely nothing. But hurry, the offer ends at 8 a.m. ET on Thursday, March 18, and after that, it’s likely to return to its regular price of $30. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this chance—I’ve already sunk 44 hours into transforming Mars into a livable world, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what the game holds. Plus, if you dive deep into the game by then, you’ll also get discounts on the expansion packs.
You don’t have to grab them right away, though. You’ll spend plenty of time learning how Mars’ infrastructure works during your early playthroughs. Once you’ve nailed down a solid plan and are ready for more complexity, that’s when you should look into the expansions. But don’t worry, if Mars proves too brutal and you decide to quit, you won’t have wasted any money.
The essential mods for Mars
By the way, Surviving Mars is mod-friendly, and there are several mods you’ll probably want to grab even if it’s your first time playing. It’s super simple if you purchase the game on Steam, but if you’re on the Epic Games store, you’ll need to use the in-game mod manager or download Nexus’ Vortex mod manager to manage everything since Epic doesn’t support mods natively for this game.
If I were to dive back in—and I likely will once the new expansion releases or if I ever get bored of Dyson Sphere Program—here’s the list of mods I’d use for Mars:
Most of ChoGGi’s QoL mods: ChoGGi has created a wide variety of mods for Surviving Mars, many of which won’t make sense until you’ve played for a bit. Once you’re ready to dive into modding, I’d recommend starting with the quality-of-life collection. These mods enhance your gameplay without tipping into cheat territory. After all, you still want some Martian challenge, right?
To get started, you can try this mod, which removes the repetitive “Welcome to Mars!” voiceover when you begin a new game. Or check out this one, which adds a little drone to follow you around for some company. Mars can get pretty lonely (at least in the beginning).
Another great mod is the Pause on Load mod, perfect for when you need to load up the game but want to step away for a coffee or a quick break. I also recommend the Better Zoom Distance mod, which gives you a much greater zoom-out than the default. It’s fantastic for base planning or if you just want to sit back and admire your Mars colony. Don’t forget to grab the NASA Logo mod to give your rockets a sleek, brand-safe look.
If you're looking to really shake things up, explore Silva’s mod collection. Some of these mods add new buildings and tweaks that could feel a bit overpowered, so I recommend waiting until you've endured a few ‘hard’ playthroughs—otherwise known as ‘surviving your first few Mars attempts without a clue.’ Once you've mastered the basics and are serious about optimizing your stats, mods like Infobar More Info will really help refine your Martian life.
Drone Load Rebalancing is a perfect mod for automatically reassigning your drones to areas that need help, saving you from the tedious task of micromanaging them manually. And don’t forget to grab Less Clicking for Mass Resupply for an easier life on Mars. Oh, and while you're at it, you’ll want better Martian radio stations to tune into too.
