
- BGG rank
- BGG #807
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Magic Maze
- 1–8 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2017

2019
Rules assistance for Magic Maze on Mars
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Magic Maze on Mars is a board game released in 2019 for 1–6 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Kasper Lapp and its main mechanics are Grid Movement, Modular Board, and Cooperative Game.
The first settlers of mars are arriving soon, but the colony is not ready yet! You are the robots that are trying to build the colony before the settlers arrive. The goal in Magic Maze on Mars is to build "domes" where the settlers can live, then to guide them to their domes when they arrive. When time runs out, they are out of oxygen. To begin, place the starting tile in the middle of the table. Deal out the appropriate action tiles and shuffle the four A tiles in a pile face down. Creating resources: A player with blue on their action tile can always create blue resources at the blue factory so long as a resource is not already there. The player simply takes a blue resource from the bank and places it on the resource station next to the factory. The resources of other colors are built on the factories of their color, with these factories becoming available when you build new tiles. Moving resources: Players can move resources along the roads with a color that they have on their action tile. A player might have an action tile that shows red and orange, so they can move resources along red and orange roads. You move resources from one "station" to another, but each station can hold only one resource, and resources cannot move through a station that holds another resource. Note: When moving resources, you must physically move the resource all the way, so the other players can see what is happening. Even if there is a long stretch of road that you are able to move on, you cannot move the resource directly. Building new tiles: To do this, you need to have a resource of the station's color on the station, e.g., a blue resource on a blue station. Once the resource is there, a player with this color on their action tile can remove the resource and place the top tile face up at the position. Place the tile with the small arrow pointing from where it was build. Watching the time: As in Magic Maze, players have a time limit in Magic Maze on Mars. To flip the sand timer, you must move any resource onto a timer space. Return the resource to the bank and place a timer token on the timer space to show that it cannot be used again. By doing this, you send a signal to the settlers that the colony is not ready yet; they will then orbit Mars once more before landing, but they can't do this indefinitely. Building domes: Some tiles have spaces available for domes. In order to build a dome, you need to place the depicted resources on the dome spot, e.g., green, yellow, and red. When all the necessary resources are placed on the dome, any player can put all the resources back in the bank and place a dome (taken from the communication board). When you have built all the domes, the settlers arrive. Place all the settlers on the rocket. Then move the settlers just like you move resources. You have won as soon as one settler inhabits each dome. There cannot be more than one settler on each station, and they cannot walk through resources. Once the settlers arrive, you can no longer flip the sand timer! (It does not help to send them messages about orbiting Mars since they are already here.) If time runs out, you have lost. —description from publisher
Magic Maze on Mars supports 1–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Magic Maze on Mars is 15 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Magic Maze on Mars for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Magic Maze on Mars has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Magic Maze on Mars belongs to these categories: Exploration, Maze, and Real-time. Its main mechanics are Grid Movement, Modular Board, and Cooperative Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Magic Maze on Mars are: Kasper Lapp. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Magic Maze on Mars as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.