Earth is one of those games that quietly grew on my radar—and once I finally got it to the table, it instantly bloomed. With Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition-style action selection, Race for the Galaxy–like combo potential, and Forest Shuffle’s layered nature theme, Earth manages to feel familiar yet strikingly fresh.
What sets Earth apart is its massive variety. Between the double-sided starting islands, climates, fauna, and ecosystems, you’re constantly exploring new synergies and adapting to different point goals. Add in simultaneous turns to keep things moving, and it’s a game that stays engaging from start to finish.
Let’s dig in and see what makes Earth such fertile ground for engine-building fans.
Table of Contents
Game Overview
Player Count: 1–5
Playtime: ~60–90 minutes
Designer: Maxime Tardif
Publisher: Inside Up Games
At its core, Earth is a tableau-building engine game driven by a clever shared-action system. Each round, the active player chooses one of four main actions:
- Green – Plant cards to your 4×4 card tableau and draw cards
- Red – Gain soil (currency) and compost (discard) cards for points
- Blue – Add sprouts (points) to plants and gain some soil
- Yellow – Draw cards and add growth (points) to plants
After a player picks an action, all other players follow with a slightly weaker version of that same action—keeping everyone engaged every turn. Then, all players simultaneously activate every card in their tableau that matches the chosen action’s color. That 4×4 grid of cards becomes your personal engine, and how you build it determines how explosive or efficient your turns can become.
Focusing on a few key colors and powering up matching cards creates a satisfying cascade of effects as the game progresses. It’s a system that rewards planning and synergy without ever bogging down the pace. There are public goals that players are racing to complete as well.
What Makes It Stand Out
Earth delivers a full-blown engine-building experience in a surprisingly short playtime. Games typically wrap up in about an hour, but you’ll walk away feeling like you’ve built something meaningful—and that’s no small feat.
The combo potential is a major highlight. With every card placement, you’re setting up new synergies, and the satisfaction of triggering a long chain of effects never gets old. Even better, the game gives you direction right from the start with a unique combination of island, climate, and ecosystem cards that push you toward a specific playstyle. You’re never left floundering on turn one.
The public goals are another standout feature. Much like Terraforming Mars, players race to complete shared objectives, adding tension and competition across the table. Hitting those goals first is a thrilling bonus, and the variety from game to game keeps things fresh.
What really pulls it all together, though, is the feeling of wanting to jump right back in. Whether it’s to try out a new strategy, focus on a different action color, or just see what weird combo you can pull off next time—Earth always leaves you ready to play again.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Satisfying combos and powerful engine-building potential
- Every action feels worthwhile—turns are always engaging
- Simultaneous turns keep the pace snappy and reduce downtime
- Multiple paths to victory thanks to varied scoring options
- Incredible variety in setup and card pool keeps games fresh
Cons
- Heavy reliance on card draw—you can occasionally whiff on synergy
- Tough to hit your strategy when you don’t see the right tags (But adapting is part of the challenge and fun)
Final Thoughts
Earth stands out as a well-crafted engine builder that manages to be both approachable and deeply replayable. It takes the best elements of games like Terraforming Mars and Race for the Galaxy, then layers on a lush nature theme and a smart simultaneous action system that keeps everyone engaged.
Whether you’re chasing synergy across your tableau, racing for public goals, or adapting on the fly to what the deck gives you, there’s always something to focus on and a new strategy to explore. With the sheer volume of unique card combinations and starting setups, it’s the kind of game that invites repeat plays without feeling repetitive.
If you’re looking for an engine builder that plays quickly but still delivers a full experience, Earth is absolutely worth growing into your collection.
Where to Buy
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