Don't Be Afraid - Is this the best Lacerda?

Brad and Toph were able to play On Mars and, finally, are able to review it. we're working out way through Vital Lacerda's big box games, having fallen in love with Kanban EV, The Gallerist, and (Toph, much more than Brad) Lisboa. On Mars has been on both of our lists (and Toph's shelf) for a while.
Along with our normal BGG ratings, value ratings, and list of pros as cons, we go even deeper in this review, including a discussion about how to play your first couple games.
What do we think? Will this dethrone Kanban EV for Brad and Lisboa for Toph? Watch to find out!
Join us on this deep dive and let us know your thoughts about this heavyweight game. Have you played On Mars or other heavyweight Euros?
contact us at [e-mail]
00:00 - Start
00:37 - What are we talking about?
00:47 - Why watch?
01:04 - Designer / Publisher
02:03 - Theme - Toph disagrees with Brad
03:58 - Terraforming Mars... UGG
04:15 - Mechanics
07:09 - Player Count - Best Count?
08:40 - Best Count?
09:28 - Solo
10:31 - Turn Overview
14:36 - Don't get stuck in Orbit or on the surface of Mars!
15:53 - Strategy for new players
17:59 - Teaching Tip: First Play & Learn Together
20:32 - We feel this helps play the game!
22:28 - Pros
23:18 - Brad's Pro
24:45 - Toph's Pro
25:34 - Using Other's Tech/Tableau
28:22 - Brad's Pro
30:03 - Toph's Rebutal
31:29 - Nothing speeds up the game!
32:28 - Rapid Discussion: More Pros
33:36 - Cons
34:03 - Brad's Rebutal
34:47 - Toph Explains His thought
35:34 - Brad's Con
37:08 - Back to a Pro
37:58 - Toph's Con
39:39 - Con and What Complaints are
41:59 - Toph's Rebutal
42:54 - Side Game/Main Mechanic
43:21 - Brad Con
44:07 - Teaching/Learning
44:45 - Help Each Other
45:06 - Alien Expantion Co-op
45:46 - Weight Rating
47:23 - Heavist Game I've played
48:32 - I get this game vs Lisboa
49:48 - Marker 39
51:35 - Who is this game for?
53:55 - Brad's BGG Rating
55:21 - Toph' BGG Rating
56:54 - What do you think?
57:57 - How to understand our recommendation

[@thenewamericanunderground3149]

so stoked for Toph on the scene and for you guys to be covering this gem! Toph shines and Toph makes Brad shine, too! I love your solo videos Brad but you two together are a real treat.

[@BadatBoardgames]

I agree sadly Toph wants to be a Dr damn higher education 🤣😂 taking away from a zero pay hobby 😄. Awesome comment and much appreciated for sure !

[@thenewamericanunderground3149]

@@BadatBoardgames the channel, content and production are great! thanks for sharing with us all. Can relate to Toph, for sure. grad school has both created my love of board games and my love of board games has probably slowed down my finishing of grad school.

[@BadatBoardgames]

Toph here. Thank you! I really miss being in front of the camera with you all, and selfishly miss hanging out with my friend as much as I could before going back to school. Trying to make it not so infrequently. Glad you want to see me still involved. 😂 Appreciate the love!

[@penny5636]

Wonderful wonderful advice about learning new complicated games! Love your channel…. 😊

[@BadatBoardgames]

Thank you very much!!!! I hope you have a great day!

[@ChitsandCardboard]

Always a class act and great content you two. Also love On Mars. Hard to go wrong :)

[@BadatBoardgames]

Thank you very much!!! It’s such a good game !

[@don_dad]

This was my first Lacerda - have since picked up the expansion, Kanban EV, Bot Factory, Mercado De Lisboa, Vihnos, and Escape Plan. Still havent played any of these others. I would give this game a 10 easy!

[@BadatBoardgames]

You've got to jump into the others, but agreed... It's so good!

[@ryantobin1007]

Absolutely love Kanban EV and The Gallerist... looking forward to trying On Mars, Lisboa and anything else VL has designed

[@BadatBoardgames]

Yes they are addicting games 😁

[@coltonbeatty6117]

Everything? You Lacerda fans are tards. You exercise no discrimination.

[@frankndice]

John company is my favorite heavy game. It truly is a unique experience. Just picked up pax renaissance the other day and it’s heavier than john company but damn that game is so good. Don’t sleep on heavy games

[@BadatBoardgames]

Those are a couple I want to play. I have definitely heard good things. How hard were they to learn?

[@frankndice]

@@BadatBoardgames John company is actually very straightforward the problem is there’s little things you can miss. Pax renaissance I play on board game arena and it’s a beast but my friend and I are willing to teach both games to you if you want

[@BadatBoardgames]

@@frankndice that would be cool not just to find time 😂😁

[@frankndice]

@@BadatBoardgames are you on ig, discord or fb messenger? I can set something up

[@frankndice]

@@BadatBoardgames do you have fb messenger, discord or ig? Maybe we can set something up

[@stormburns]

My favorite heavy game is Voidfall! Togh, which one do you choose to play when you decide to play a Lacerda solo? Just your favorite lacerda or one you feel works best solo? I cant decide which Lacerda to get. Heavy games I only get to the table solo. Lisboa's and Invention's themes sound the coolest to me. Weather Machine and On Mars the art looks the nicest. Weather Machine has Turczi but On mars has two different solo modes with the expansion! On Mars sounds like the best solo option? But maybe its also Inventions! Such a hard decision!

[@BadatBoardgames]

Sorry for the delay! Toph here. Ok, hard question to answer (thanks for making me think). I've not played all of Lacerda's big box games (we have Weather Machine that we need to table and Inventions just delivered a little bit ago--also have Escape Plan, but it doesn't solo to my knowledge. Want to play Vinhos sometime, too.). So far, of the one's I've soloed, On Mars was probably the best experience. I haven't soloed Kanban EV, but I'm sure it's good. Mechanics-wise, it's pretty close to On Mars. I have soloed The Gallerist, but I don't remember how it played. Lisboa was also good solo. Really, it was. But something about On Mars' experience solo shined (was it because it was shiny and new for me?). So hard to say, but as of right now, I'm leaning towards On Mars having the best solo experience.

[@benlauson555]

end of the journey game haha love it! ... Beginning of the wargamer

[@BadatBoardgames]

Hehehe true that

[@bjj_9925]

Could you talk about the upgrade kit for this game? is it necessary?

[@BadatBoardgames]

Not sure it's needed, to be honest. It doubles the goal cards, gives some extra blueprints, and gives the board that the blueprints sit on. But you don't need it. I like it, won't lie, the board especially reminds me hoe many cards and when, bit it's not critical.

[@shortydancer]

I got a new on mars with upgrade pack new for $84 back in 2021! But even then, the value just isn’t there. Even though it’s pretty and box and components.

[@BadatBoardgames]

Understand. I disagree 😂 but I get it. If it doesn't click, it doesn't matter how much or little it costs, its too much.

[@bestatstartrek2179]

If you had to choose would it be Kanban or On Mars

[@BadatBoardgames]

Both SUCH GREAT games! Toph here, I'm going for On Mars. Brad's likely the opposite.

[@bestatstartrek2179]

@@BadatBoardgames Toph as bad as I want to play this game and I’ve come so close to buying it so many times and coming from someone more obsessed than most about the universe it sounds like the thing that makes this rate so high is that it is the holy grail of gaming. The teach. The length and the difficulty hold it back for me. Hearing you say you hate teaching it and all the negatives is why in the end I always pass on it. That being said I think what makes or breaks this game is having people willing to endure the teach. And actually play it. Unfortunately my wife will only let me get 1 sentence of teach out nowadays before we start playing. Also the frequency in which it will hit the table is also the biggest deciding reason. All that being said I wish I could try this game with someone who likes it as much as you. For me Kanban is my favorite #1 game unfortunately it hasn’t hit the table in years because whenever I suggest it I get an ugg from my gaming partner. Lacerda imo is definitely the master of board games. Always looking to see what he comes out with next. Awesome to hear this is your #1 game and it scores a perfect 10. Always a fan of the Bad at Board games crew. Feels even more special when you make it on the videos. My only gripe is that I would like to have seen more of the board during your review to really appreciate this games beauty. Thanks for the review Bad at Board games. 😀

[@bestatstartrek2179]

@@BadatBoardgames oh and still waiting for you to shove your finger on n brads face to see how uncomfortable you can make him. Maybe a good stinky fart will put him in his place. 🤣😂

[@BadatBoardgames]

I keep thinking about this and I laugh. But then I realize that if I do it, I have to make myself uncomfortable. Also, Brad is not opposed to retaliation, and I fear for my life (or my comfort levels). HAHAHAHA

[@coltonbeatty6117]

​@@bestatstartrek2179 Maybe you should listen to your gaming partner. How could he be a 'master game designer' when it happens SO often that people find them insufferable?

[@styfen]

I love On Mars so much, it got a second lease of life with the expansion.

[@BadatBoardgames]

That’s awesome!! I am really looking forward to trying the expansion now and we seem to like similar games 😁

[@coltonbeatty6117]

So this bloated pile of dung needed EVEN MORE content to stay 'fresh'? Waste of time

[@coltonbeatty6117]

So this bloated pile of d u n g needs even MORE CONTENT to stay 'fresh'? Ridiculous

[@coltonbeatty6117]

​@@BadatBoardgames Stop deleting my comments

[@BadatBoardgames]

They are there not deleted you can have your own opinion but we don’t have the same opinion

[@t1s2m3a4]

I love this game!. Although, I lean into Lacerda games and I have a hard time finding fault in his designs (I would make a terrible reviewer). All his games inhabit different areas of my board gamming heart so I can't really say I prefer one over the other. Without ever having played Escape Plan, I would have a hard time ranking his big box/Eagle Griffin games.

[@BadatBoardgames]

I really get this comment. Good news, you don't have to rank them! You enjoy them each for a specific reason. Glad you like them, too!