Surviving Mars is a science-fiction city builder about establishing a human settlement on a planet that cannot readily support human life. Before construction begins, players choose a space agency for its resources and financial backing, then select a location for the colony. The central challenge is not simply growing a city: planning mistakes can threaten the people who live there.
The settlement takes shape through domes and infrastructure, with drones helping players expand it and research opening further possibilities. Colonists need to stay alive, so the colony must provide essentials such as oxygen and food while managing its systems. Each colonist also has individual strengths and problems that affect needs and behavior, giving the population a role in the simulation beyond filling buildings. Research combines static and random discoveries, while exploration can reveal new breakthroughs and a mystery on a playthrough may bring either fortune or danger.
That mix of construction, resource management, and uncertain discoveries makes Surviving Mars a single-player strategy and simulation game. Its play format centers on one player shaping a colony over time, rather than on a shared match or competitive lobby.
