Space mining is developing thanks to the cooperation between private corporations and governments around the world. Before the challenge to occupy another planet, however, we need to create a Moon base to extract resources from our natural satellite. Iron, titanium, water, and a powerful fuel, helium-3, are natural riches available in the Moon. To get these riches won’t be easy; it’ll require lots of work to install lunar probes, process extracted minerals, and ensure the working conditions of scientists and engineers in the crew.

In Luna Maris, you take on the role of a coordinator in charge of the lunar operations of a big company, organizing the crew, fulfilling demands, supplying worker’s necessities, improving rooms in the complex, and respecting the strict environmental parameters. You start the game with six scientist cards, with which you can perform actions; to do so, place a scientist meeple in a room in the lunar complex, discard the appropriate scientist card, pay the activation cost (energy, water, oxygen, etc.), then receive the benefits of that room. The ten rooms each have their particularities and special rules:

• Exploration Plant: Astronauts go out to the base to extract minerals.
• Industrial Complex: Process extracted minerals. Also, control the air filters and decrease the CO2 emissions.
• Greenhouse: Create food to sustain the crew members.
• Expedition Area: Ship cargo to Earth and receive victory points.
• Mining Room: Extract basalt and titanium to sustain a high level of production.
• Communication Room: Hire better scientists and improve the human resources of the lunar base.
• Power Plant: Juice the solar boards for an extra energy supply.
• Recycling Plant: Recycle your waste to obtain resources in a green sustainable economy.
• Laboratory: Use research to improve the Industrial Complex, Recycling Plant, and other facilities.
• Dormitory: Take time off to recuperate.

A game lasts five rounds, and during that time you can focus on installing lunar probes and producing raw resources; investing in the industrial complex to guarantee access to water and helium-3; hiring high-level scientists and optimizing your actions; or doing other things that will deliver victory points in the long run. After five rounds, players tally their scores to see who runs the base and who gets ejected into orbit. (Kidding!)