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This guide will help you establish your first successful colony on Mars. Follow these steps to avoid common pitfalls and build a thriving settlement.

Pre-Landing Phase

Choosing Your Sponsor

Your sponsor determines starting resources and special bonuses. For beginners, International Mars Mission (IMM) offers:

• $4,000M funding (highest starting capital)
• Balanced rocket capacity
• No special restrictions

Other beginner-friendly options:

• USA: Extra research boost
• Europe: Drone automation bonuses

Commander Profile

Choose a commander profile that matches your playstyle:

• Politician: Extra funding per Sol
• Engineer: Construction cost reduction
• Scientist: Research speed bonus (recommended for first playthrough)

Landing Site Selection

Look for these key features:

• Water deposits: Essential for long-term survival
• Metal deposits: Needed for construction
• Concrete deposits: Required for all buildings
• Flat terrain: Easier to build

Ideal landing site characteristics:

• 2-3 water deposits nearby
• Multiple metal and concrete deposits
• Sector bonus (rare metals preferred)

First 10 Sols Strategy

Sol 1-3: Resource Collection

Immediate actions:

1. Deploy all available drones from rocket
2. Build 2 Concrete Extractors on concrete deposits
3. Build 1 Metal Extractor on metal deposit
4. Place Universal Depot for storage
5. Build Moisture Vaporator (if no water nearby) or Water Extractor

Priority order:

1. Concrete (needed for everything)
2. Metal (for advanced buildings)
3. Water (for colonists)
4. Power generation

Sol 4-7: Power & Life Support

Build power infrastructure:

• 3 Wind Turbines (reliable, maintenance-free)
• 2 Stirling Generators (backup power)
• Connect all buildings with Power Cables

Build your first dome:

• Choose Basic Dome (cheapest option)
• Place on flat ground near resources
• Needs: 30 Concrete + 10 Metal + 10 Polymers

Inside the dome, build:

• 2 Living Complexes (housing for 12 colonists)
• 1 Grocer (food distribution)
• 1 Infirmary (healthcare)
• 1 Diner (comfort building)

Sol 8-10: Preparing for Colonists

Life support buildings:

• MOXIE (oxygen production) - place near dome
• Water Tank - place near water extractor
• Pipes - connect water to dome

Request first colonists:

• Select 12 colonists from available applicants
• Prioritize these traits:
  • Perks: Survivor, Fit, Workaholic, Genius
  • Specializations: 2 Scientists, 2 Engineers, 2 Geologists, rest non-specialists
  • Avoid flaws: Alcoholic, Chronic Condition, Idiot, Renegade

Build work buildings:

• Research Lab (for Scientists)
• Machine Parts Factory (for Engineers - optional for Sol 10)

Managing Your First Colonists

Arrival Day (Sol ~15-20)

When colonists arrive:

1. They automatically assign to available housing
2. They start working after 6 Sols (children) or immediately (adults)
3. Monitor their Comfort, Health, Sanity, and Morale

Resource Consumption

Per colonist per Sol:

• Food: 1 unit (2 if Glutton flaw)
• Water: 1 unit for consumption + shower/service buildings
• Oxygen: Constant supply needed in dome
• Power: Indirect consumption through life support

Building Priority After Landing

Expand life support (Sols 20-30):

1. Farm - produce your own food (needs 10 workers)
2. Polymers Factory - reduce Earth supply dependency
3. Fuel Refinery - enable rocket returns
4. Additional Living Quarters as population grows

Research priorities:

1. Extractor AI - extractors work without workers
2. Low-G Engineering - construction cost reduction
3. Martian Copyrights - research boost
4. Water Reclamation System - 50% water consumption reduction

Common Beginner Mistakes

Mistake 1: Building Too Fast

Problem: Running out of concrete/metal
Solution: Wait for sufficient stockpile (100+ concrete, 50+ metal) before expanding

Mistake 2: Ignoring Maintenance

Problem: Buildings break down, causing cascade failures
Solution: Keep 10+ machine parts in storage, build Machine Parts Factory early

Mistake 3: No Backup Power

Problem: Cold waves or dust storms cut power, colonists die
Solution: Always have 50% more power capacity than needed

Mistake 4: Accepting Bad Colonists

Problem: Renegades cause problems, sick colonists drain resources
Solution: Be selective during applicant screening, reject flawed colonists

Mistake 5: Forgetting Waste Rock

Problem: Extractors stop working when waste accumulates
Solution: Build Waste Rock Dump near each extractor

Sol 30+ Goals

Once your colony is stable:

Short-term objectives:

• Population: 30-50 colonists
• Food production: Self-sufficient
• Polymers production: Independent from Earth
• Second dome: Specialization (farming or industry)

Mid-term objectives:

• Research: Complete breakthrough tech
• Export: Rare metals for funding
• Tourism: Accept tourist rockets (extra income)
• Automated mining: Upgrade extractors with tech

Expansion strategy:

• Build specialized domes (farming dome, research dome, factory dome)
• Develop transport infrastructure (shuttles between domes)
• Research advanced technologies
• Terraform Mars (with Green Planet DLC)

Emergency Protocols

Power Failure

1. Turn off non-essential buildings immediately
2. Prioritize life support (MOXIE, Water)
3. Use rockets as emergency power if available

Food Shortage

1. Order emergency food supply from Earth
2. Reduce population growth (reduce Comfort)
3. Build additional farms immediately

Colonist Death Spiral

Signs: Multiple colonists leaving/dying
Solutions:

• Increase Comfort: Build more service buildings
• Improve Sanity: Add hanging gardens, medical facilities
• Boost Morale: Remove problematic colonists, improve conditions

Next Steps

Once you’ve mastered the basics:

• Read the detailed Colonists guide
• Learn about advanced Buildings
• Optimize Resources production
• Explore the Research tech tree

Remember: Surviving Mars is about patience and planning. Take your time, monitor your resources, and always have backup plans.