Mars Horizon is a strategy game in which players control a government space agency. Picking between the space agencies of either Europe, Russia, or the United States, the players then control the agency to collaborate or compete in a decades-spanning campaign to expand humanity's reach further into space. With each game an alternate history begins to be shaped and guided by the player's actions, building iconic rockets, probes, and satellites that transmit crucial scientific data back to your customisable Earth HQ, all the while researching, investing in, and bolstering your space flight capabilities.

During the player's version of the space race, perhaps Europe work with Russia, sending satellites into orbit? Could it be that the US get this first satellite into space but that Russia achieves the first moon landing? Who will be best poised to venture to Mars because of learnings from earlier missions? Players will research new tech, expand their agency base, build rockets, send satellites into orbit, and launch a variety of missions throughout the Solar System. The game culminates in the first crewed mission to Mars, setting the stage for humanity to become a multiplanetary species. 

You’re in charge of every element of the journey into space: success rides on your decisions.

Will you push to stay ahead of the other agencies, or focus on testing and research? There are multiple ways to ensure the first person on Mars is under your command. Every choice matters: will you invest in the most advanced technology or take risks in the rush to the red planet?

Using actual events and missions as inspiration, can you handle the challenges faced by real space agencies?

Management is a vital aspect of Mars Horizon. You'll need to design and build the right spacecraft, hire and train the crew, and make strategic decisions as mission control to survive the journey to Mars.

Enter into diplomatic partnerships with other agencies to share the rewards of space exploration, or risk going it alone to gain greater prestige. Construct the ideal rocket from historically-inspired vehicle parts. Hire contractors to construct vehicles and use their unique benefits to gain a key edge over your competitors.

In Mars Horizon's Daring Expeditions update, you will be able to undertake new risks which can reap high rewards when it is coming to PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch in January 2022!

Expect to see dangerous new missions, new flags and plenty of Spacepedia updates.

• New Mission: Space Tourist: We've added a space tourist mission where you can elect to send a billionaire or an educator into space on their request. This is a high risk mission for your agency, possibly wrecking your reputation or granting you huge rewards. We've also added new narrative events and cinematics for this mission.
• New Mission: Chinese Rover Zhurong: This adds a new mission for players who are playing the Chinese space agency in the game; Chinese Rover Zhurong as a payload to send to Mars! We took inspiration from this recent dramatic accomplishment by the CNSA and have put it into our game along with brand new cinematics which reflect the activity of the mission.
• New Mission: Philae / Rosetta Mission: This adds a playable new mission where the comet that the Rosetta mission targeted appears in the Solar System - and you're able to research a mission to land on it just like ESA did. There's new narrative events which explain the comet's formation and chart its relevance in science. We've also added a bunch of dramatic new cinematics as well as the new payloads.
• New flags, Spacepedia Updates, and Bugfixes: As well as these awesome new missions we've added loads of new nation flags to select when you begin your own custom agency. There are new spacepedia entries for space tourism, the Zhurong rover, and of course Rosetta and Philae. We’ve also implemented lots of bug fixes to address the balance of some missions and some localisation improvements.

Check out the update early!

Be lightyears ahead by getting an early access view to one of our new missions this November in the extra special stream on Friday November 12th (4.00pm - 5.00pm GMT) to the Mars Horizon Steam page.

The Auroch Digital team will be joined by Andrea Accomazzo, who is the Head of Solar System and Exploration Missions Division at the European Space Agency, and who actually worked on the Rosetta mission back in 2014. 

For anyone who already owns Mars Horizon we will be running a playtest of the update straight after the stream. Jump onto the Mars Horizon test branch to try it out early and let us know if you run into any issues. The playtest is running from November 12th - November 19th - you won’t want to miss it!

Mars Horizon has been made with the input and support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency, in the form of a grant plus advice and information on space exploration and the running of an actual space agency for Mars Horizon. From engineers developing the technology used in Mars programmes, to those designing the next generation of missions, bringing an unprecedented level of authenticity, realism and legitimacy to the gameplay and its scenarios.

Auroch Digital are advocates for video games both as entertainment but also as a medium with the power to explore real world issues and ideas. Together with research into real science and engineering in the space industry, the support shown by the UK Space Agency to assist in Mars Horizon's production has elevated and further inspired the development team at Auroch Digital. 

Key Features:

• Create your base with launch pads, research labs, astronaut training facilities, and much more
• Construct your own custom vehicles from hundreds of combinations
• Launch satellites and crewed spacecraft to explore the Solar System
• Run mission control as you solve the various challenges of turn-based missions to earn scientific advancement and public support
• Explore an extensive tech tree and compete or collaborate with other agencies to plot your roadmap to Mars
• Choose from five unique space agencies, each with their own traits, base, vehicles, and spacecraft
• Create your own custom space agency

Mars Horizon is available for PC (Steam), PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.