Surviving Mars Relaunched is a complex City Builder Simulation game that challenges players with the task of building a sustainable colony on Mars. But before even trying to settle there, the battle begins in the command base on Earth, trying to pick which is the best Profile for their Commander, and then going into orbit to select the best landing spot.
Here are a few tips and tricks to help players get a fast start in Surviving Mars: Relaunched, along with some unwritten rules the tutorial never speaks about. From optimal pre-game choices for beginners, to settling in and launching your Founder Phase successfully.
Best Commander Profiles For Beginners
-
Geo Engineer:
- Seeds Import Cost Reduced by 50%
- Bonus Prefabs: 2x GHG Factory, 2x Forestation Plants
- Bonus Tech: Designed Forestation (Newly grown forests have a chance to spawn Vistas and Research Sites)
One of the fastest Profiles to Terraform Mars into a Lush Paradise full of greenery, and also great at dealing with Sanity Loss and Moral Loss. The moment players start with their Terraforming process, it will be a point of no return, changing Mars' Landscape for good.
Some sponsors might not agree with this endeavor, and those more focused on Mining Riches or developing Technologies will be displeased.
On the other hand, the reduced cost of importing seeds means that players can turn Mars into a tourist resort faster, and that will also generate lots of profit. It's a race against time to turn the Colony into a profitable and sustainable home. Here's what picking this
-
City Mayor:
- 2000 M Additional Starting Funds
- Buildings require upkeep less often
- Bonus Tech: Mars Noveau (building costs in Metals & Concrete are reduced by 20%)
A decent Profile for beginners, increasing the amount of funds players get on their mission start. It also reduces considerably the cost of building thanks to the Mars Noveau exclusive tech.
And since it will also reduce the cost of maintenance, thanks to its second perk, it snowballs into the late game like one of the best Profiles for complex settlements. Players will be able to reach the Capital stage way faster with this Profile.
-
Spelunker;
- Colonists regain Sanity when in the Underground instead of Losing It.
- Bonus Prefabs: 1x Elevators, 2x Drone Hub Extenders
- Bonus Tech: Underground Domes (Unlocks Basic and Micro Underground Domes)
This Profile is prepared for those who want to get rich exploring not the surface, but the Martian Undergrounds, filled with riches and protected from the dangers of sandstorms, meteors, and cold waves.
Unlocking the Elevators and Underground Domes faster than others will mean a considerable advantage in terms of establishing an underground colony, and that Buff that makes colonists increase their Sanity while working Underground means everything. The fastest profile for building a Mining Colony.
Location Is Everything: Use Your Probes To Explore Quadrants Before Settling In
The randomly generated maps, rough terrain, and scattered resources make it extremely difficult to figure out where to settle when players land their first Rocket in Surviving Mars Relaunched. Thankfully, there's a trick to establish a small base of operations to explore the surface real fast, and find critical resources like Concrete, Metals, Water, Anomalies, and Precious Metals.
- Set as many Obrital Probes to scan the quadrants, and Press (+) to accelerate time.
- In the meantime, land in the revealed quadrants, and build a proto base (basic Wind and Solar generators).
- Build a Sensor Tower, and use the RC Explorer Rover to reach new locations.
- Find the ideal flat surface with nearby resource nodes, and establish a colony there.
Drones need to be in the active area of a Commander Rover or a Drone Hub to be eligible for regular Building Maintenance. Just remember to check the capacity to avoid Orphaned Drones.
Priority Building & Salvaging: Start Small, Then Go Big
Building a sustainable colony on Mars will be a tremendous challenge, and Surviving Mars Relaunched is a complex game with hundreds of factors to keep in mind, though one of the most critical is 'Priority Building,' a sort of unspoken Rule in terms of gameplay.
Players need to plan ahead and gather resources before taking in their first colonists, and since they can do so with a Standalone Drone Base for a while without the need to get into the Founder Stage (when the first colonists descend).
The first priority is Energy and Resource buildings, then establishing a Supply Route with Drones and Rovers, making sure the terrain around is clear from rubble and resources like Metals.
Sometimes, moving on to a new place is the ideal choice (See Location Is Everything) before settling in with a Dome. The ideal Dome is the Self-Sustained, since it will automatically build everything it needs to become habitable (except for inner buildings and energy).
Now, the next phase would be to build a Water Facility, some Energy, Oxygen, and Water Storage. Once this is done, connect everything with Pipes and cables, and make sure to prepare some space near the dome for a Fuel and Polymer Refiner. Once this is done, players are ready to call their first Colonists and start the Founder phase.
Surviving Mars: Relaunched
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- November 10, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Mild Violence, Use of Alcohol, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Haemimont Games
- Publisher(s)
- Paradox Interactive
- Number of Players
- Single-player
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Strategy, City Builder, Base Building
