
- BGG rank
- BGG #31,174
- BGG rating
- 5.2
The Legacy of Mars
- 1–5 players
- 150–300 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2027

Rules assistance for Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium is an expansion for Terraforming Mars released in 2017 for 1–5 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Jacob Fryxelius and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Tile Placement.
Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium, the first expansion for Terraforming Mars, consists of a double-sided game board presenting two new areas of Mars: • Elysium takes players almost to the opposite side of Mars' equator, with vast lowlands for oceans in the north and a dry, mineral-rich south. Place a tile on Olympus Mons, the highest peak in the solar system, to gain three free cards! • Hellas, the southern wild, includes Mars' south pole and the enormous seven-hex Hellas crater that just begs to become a giant lake. Building around the pole gives you new placement bonuses in the form of heat and possibly even water. Each of these maps consists of new sets of milestones and awards with relevance for that particular map. Place three tiles around the south pole to be a Polar Explorer, for example, or race to have the most estates beside water on Elysium!
Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium supports 1–5 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 Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium is 90–120 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 Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium for ages 12 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.
Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium has a complexity rating of 2.8 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.
Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium belongs to these categories: Economic, Territory Building, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Tile Placement. 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 Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium are: Jacob Fryxelius. 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 Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium as an expansion for Terraforming Mars. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Terraforming Mars to use it. Check that your edition of Terraforming Mars is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.