Surviving Mars
Surviving Mars is a sci-fi city builder all about colonizing Mars and surviving the process. Choose a space agency for resources and financial support before determining a location for your colony. Build domes and infrastructure, research new possibilities and utilize drones to unlock more elaborate ways to shape and expand your settlement. Cultivate your own food, mine minerals or just relax by the bar after a hard day’s work. Most important of all, though, is keeping your colonists alive. Not an easy task on a strange new planet.
Overview of the platinum guide
19 missable trophies · Fully obtainable offline
Platinum Requirement Profile (Difficulty & Effort)
Demanding city-builder requiring precise timing for sponsor goals before Sol 100.
- Mechanics & Peak: 2/10 – Pause available anytime; no fast reflexes or execution required.
- Guide Reliance: 7/10 – Pre-Sol 100 sponsor goals require tight resource management.
- Grind & Collectibles: 6/10 – 1,000 buildings, 1,000 colonists, and 50 launches need long grinding.
- RNG & Luck: 6/10 – Random breakthrough techs and map anomalies affect trophy availability.
- Punishment Severity: 4/10 – Very forgiving on low difficulty; mistakes are easily fixed.
- Co-op / MP Dependency: 0/10 – Pure single-player experience with no online components.
100% DLC Note: Space Race DLC requires 500%+ difficulty achievements, making it brutally unforgiving.
Trophies
Main game
Surviving Mars Platinum Trophy
Collected all remaining Surviving Mars trophies
Unlock all other trophies to earn the Platinum trophy.
Cubism
Completed Mystery: The Power of Three
Select 'The Power of Three' in the game setup. Keep RC Explorers ready to analyze black cube anomalies and stockpile concrete early to encase cubes before they disrupt power lines.
Space Invaders
Completed Mystery: The Dredgers
Select 'The Dredgers' in the game setup. Prioritize tech research to unlock countermeasures and assign drone swarms to dismantle the encroaching alien mining rigs before they deplete your mineral veins.
Mirror, mirror...
Completed Mystery: Spheres
Select 'Spheres' in the game setup. The mysterious spheres drain power and cause localized cold waves; build surplus power generation to deliberately charge them, then construct traps to harvest them into metals.
Swan Song
Completed Mystery: Inner Light
Select 'Inner Light' in the game setup. Manage sanity losses by staffing infirmaries and medical centers while following the vision quest prompts to complete the mystery research.
Sentience 2.0
Completed Mystery: Artificial Intelligence
Select 'Artificial Intelligence' in the game setup. Maintain separate isolated power grids and prepare extra drone hubs to counter network shutdowns when rogue AI events trigger.
Whistleblower
Completed Mystery: Marsgate
Select 'Marsgate' in the game setup. Research MDS Lasers and position RC Commanders with combat-ready repair drones near colony borders to repel hostile defense rovers.
The Beanstalk
Built the Space Elevator
Unlocked in the Physics tech tree. The Space Elevator requires 400 Concrete and 100 Machine Parts, providing heavily discounted resupply orders and automated rare metal exports.
Snow Globe
Built the Geoscape Dome
Unlocked in the Biotechnology tech tree. The Geoscape Dome functions as a massive, high-comfort residential wonder that drastically restores colonist sanity and morale.
It's Always Sunny on Mars
Built the Artificial Sun
Unlocked in the Physics tech tree. It produces vast amounts of continuous power and keeps surrounding solar panels operating at full efficiency 24/7, but requires a heavy initial water reserve to start up.
Alpha Scientist
Built the Omega Telescope
Unlocked at the end of the Physics tech tree. Ensure a healthy surplus of electronics and dedicated drone hubs nearby to deliver the massive quantity of construction resources.
The Rabbit Hole
Built the Mohole Mine
Unlocked in the Physics tech tree. Once constructed, the Mohole Mine provides an infinite supply of metals and rare metals without requiring human labor, while heating the immediate area.
Cast in Concrete
Built the Excavator
Unlocked in the Robotics tech tree. The Excavator completely eliminates concrete scarcity by endlessly extracting concrete directly from the ground without depleting deposits.
What is Real?
Built Project Morpheus
Unlocked in the Social tech tree. Position Project Morpheus in range of high-density residential domes to passively bestow positive perks onto as many colonists as possible.
Bubble Wrap
Built a Dome
Build any dome. This is one of the first steps in normal gameplay.
There and Back Again
Refueled a Rocket
Connect a Fuel Refinery to water and power, then configure automated drone coverage to load the required 30 units of fuel into any landed rocket.
Spacey Food
Harvested Food on Mars
Construct a farm inside a dome or an open-air farm and harvest the first food for your colonists.
Where No Man has Gone Before
Analyzed an Anomaly
Send an RC Explorer rover to a revealed anomaly on the map and scan it.
Marvin the Martian
First child on Mars
Keep comfort in a dome above the birth threshold (typically 55+) with both male and female colonists present. Placing an Infirmary lowers the required comfort threshold significantly.
Good News, Everyone!
Passed the Colony Approval stage
Over-prepare redundant water and oxygen storage before landing the founder rocket. You only need to keep the initial colonists alive for 10 Sols without unnatural deaths.
Space Communism
Reached 250 Colonists
Continuously expand your domes and food production to ensure space and supplies for 250 colonists.
Multiplanet Species
Reached 1000 Colonists
Deploy multiple Shuttle Hubs to handle long-distance resource distribution and inter-dome migration across large multi-dome networks without logistical bottlenecks.
The Boundaries of Knowledge
Researched all non-Breakthrough Technologies
Only standard technologies across the Biotech, Engineering, Robotics, Physics, and Social trees are needed; Breakthrough techs marked with octagonal icons are completely excluded.
Can't Stop the Signal
Scanned all Sectors
Construct powered Sensor Towers across the map grid to dramatically boost scanning speed, or purchase orbital probes directly from Earth to uncover entire sectors instantly.
The Final Frontier
Deep scanned all Sectors
Requires researching 'Deep Scanning' in the Physics tree. Overlapping powered Sensor Towers significantly speed up rescanning all 100 sectors to uncover subterranean deposits.
How Much is a Googol?
Reached $100,000 M
Playing as the Blue Sun Corporation makes this trivial due to their corporate office funding. Alternatively, combine the Mohole Mine and Space Elevator to run automated rare metal export loops.
Wubba, lubba, dub, dub!
Built 1000 buildings
Power cables, life support pipes, and cheap exterior decorations count as individual structures toward the 1,000 count.
You can't take the Sky from Me!
Landed 50 Rockets on Mars in a single playthrough
Construct multiple automated fuel refineries near several launchpads to keep a continuous fleet of cargo and passenger rockets cycling between Earth and Mars.
In the High Tower
Built a Dome Spire
Spires can only be placed in the designated central hex slot of Medium, Large, or Mega Domes. Any spire building, such as an Arcology or Water Reclamation Spire, will unlock this.
Open the Pod Bay Doors
Built a Shuttle Hub
Research 'CO2 Jet Propulsion' in the Robotics tree to unlock Shuttle Hubs, enabling automated transport of materials and colonists between disconnected dome clusters.
A Shooting Star
Shot down a meteorite
Research 'Meteor Defense System' in the Physics tree and place an MDS Laser near your colony core. It will automatically intercept incoming meteors during meteor showers.
Dream of a Green Mars
Reached 200 Vegans
Set passenger applicant filters to exclusively accept the 'Vegan' trait on every rocket, and configure high-comfort domes with trait filtering to encourage reproduction among vegan colonists.
Marsopolis
Reached 100 Colonists living in a single Dome
Build a Mega Dome or Diamond Dome fitted with Smart Homes and an Arcology Spire to comfortably push residential capacity well over 100 without incurring overcrowding penalties.
Assisted Self-Improvement
Treated 50 Colonists in a Sanatorium
Construct a Sanatorium Spire and set the host dome's filter to prioritize colonists with negative traits (such as Alcoholic, Gambler, or Melancholic) until 50 cures register.
For the Benefit of All [Missable]
Played as USA and researched all technologies in the Engineering tech-tree before Sol 100
Missable! Select USA as your sponsor and direct all research exclusively toward the Engineering tree. Buy Outsourcing early and construct multiple Research Labs to comfortably beat the Sol 100 cutoff.
Building a Better Future [Missable]
Played as Blue Sun Corporation and exported 500 units of Rare Metals to Earth before Sol 100
Missable! Select Blue Sun Corporation and locate rare metal deposits immediately on landing. Rush multiple staffed extraction mines and maintain continuous fuel production to cycle export rockets non-stop.
Interesting Times [Missable]
Played as China and reached a population of 200 before Sol 100
Missable! Select China as sponsor. Take full advantage of China's oversized passenger rockets to import large batches of colonists, while staffing infirmaries in high-comfort domes to maintain aggressive birth rates.
In the Service of Humankind [Missable]
Played as India and had 5 Domes before Sol 100
Missable! Select India. Micro Domes count toward this goal and cost 50% fewer resources under India; they do not need to be staffed or populated to register before Sol 100.
Because we Care [Missable]
Played as Europe and researched 5 Breakthrough Technologies before Sol 100
Missable! Select Europe and use RC Explorers to prioritize planetary anomalies across the map. Fund planetary research rocket missions whenever they appear to secure 5 Breakthroughs early.
Aren't they Cute? [Missable]
Played as SpaceY and controlled 200 Drones before Sol 100
Missable! Select SpaceY to benefit from heavily discounted drone imports. Build several Drone Hubs and order prefabricated drones from Earth in bulk until your total fleet hits 200.
Gagarin's Legacy [Missable]
Played as Russia and extracted 10000 resource units from Deposits before Sol 100
Missable! Select Russia. Keep Russia's RC Harvester mining concrete continuously, and establish multiple automated surface metal and water extractors as early as possible.
The New Ark [Missable]
Played as the Church of the New Ark and had 100 people born on Mars before Sol 100
Missable! Select Church of the New Ark to leverage their natural birth rate perk. Keep dome comfort consistently above 70 with Diners and Grocers, and build Infirmaries to lower the birth comfort threshold.
Perfect Moment
Had a Colonist with all four stats at maximum
Pick a colonist with high baseline stats and place them in a dome equipped with luxury services like an Infirmary, Diner, and Spacebar, avoiding heavy workloads and night shifts.
A Better Planet
Had an Earthsick Colonist who decided to stay on Mars
Deliberately drop a colonist's comfort to zero through joblessness and service denials until they become Earthsick, then immediately relocate them to a luxury dome with an Infirmary to restore high comfort before a rocket leaves.
Posthuman
Had a Colonist with 2 Rare traits
Inspect applicant pools periodically for rare traits like Genius or Celebrity. Alternatively, utilize Project Morpheus or breakthroughs such as 'Gene Adaptation' to spawn rare traits on existing colonists.
The Watney Challenge [Missable]
Passed the Colony Approval stage with a single Founder
Missable! Filter your initial founder rocket down to a single colonist with positive survival perks (like Survivor or Hippie). Maintain flawless life support and food supplies in a micro dome until the 10 Sol evaluation ends.
S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
Had a Colonist with 5 Perks
Project Morpheus passively adds perks over time to colonists in its range. Pair this with Martianborn applicants educated in Martian Academies to reach five perks on one person.
The New Wonders of the World
Constructed 5 different Wonders in a single playthrough
Wonders reside at the end of each tech tree. Stockpile massive quantities of concrete, metals, and electronics, then deploy dedicated drone swarms to complete five different wonders in a single colony.
The Positronic Man
Had a Biorobot Colonist
Requires discovering the 'The Positronic Brain' Breakthrough tech from map anomalies. Once researched, assemble a Biorobot in a Drone Assembler using electronics and machine parts.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Had a Dome populated by at least 50 Biorobot Colonists
After researching 'The Positronic Brain', mass-produce at least 50 Biorobots from Drone Assemblers and set dome filters to herd all biorobots into a single shared dome.
Immortality of a Kind
Had a citizen that was reconstructed by Project Phoenix
Requires finding the 'Project Phoenix' Breakthrough via anomaly scans. Once researched, dead colonists have a 50% chance to be reconstructed as youths; let older colonists pass away naturally.
Surviving Mars - Space Race
Space Shopping [Missable]
Played as USA and had a Geoscape Dome with a Megamall before Sol 100
Missable! Rush the Robotics tech tree to unlock the Geoscape Dome Wonder as early as possible. Take advantage of the USA sponsor's periodic funding injections to outsource research and import all required advanced resources directly from Earth.
Tao [Missable]
Played as China and had Tai-chi Gardens in 10 Domes before Sol 100
Missable! Expand quickly by constructing cheap Micro or Basic Domes and slotting a Tai-chi Garden into each. Take advantage of China's larger passenger rocket capacity to swiftly supply initial workforce across all outposts.
Space Capitalism [Missable]
Played as Blue Sun Corporation and produced $100,000 M Funding before Sol 100
Missable! Maximize Rare Metal extraction and export them continuously using upgraded cargo rockets. Build multiple Corporate Offices to generate steady passive funding and buy applicants from Earth rather than waiting on natural growth.
Europa Universalis [Missable]
Played as Europe and reached daily production of 10,000 Research before Sol 100
Missable! Stack multiple Science Institutes and Research Labs inside high-comfort domes staffed exclusively by specialized Scientists. Europe earns extra funding upon discovering new technologies, which should be continuously reinvested into Outsourced research to reach the daily 10,000 threshold.
Waste Not, Want Not [Missable]
Played as India and converted 3000 Waste Rock to useful materials before Sol 100
Missable! Construct several Metals Refineries adjacent to heavy excavation sites like concrete extractors and mines. Keep dedicated Drone Hubs and Waste Rock dump sites nearby to ensure a non-stop supply pipeline into the converters.
The Pace of Progress [Missable]
Played as SpaceY and complete all Sponsor Goals on challenge rating 500% or higher
Missable! Reach the 500% challenge rating by stacking manageable Game Rules like Rebel Yell and high disaster frequency on rough coordinates. Leverage SpaceY's cheap rocket fuel and rapid travel times to import essential machinery and bypass early supply crunches while pursuing the sponsor milestones.
No Pain, No Gain
Played as Russia and had 500 colonists on challenge rating 500% or higher
Achieve the 500% challenge rating by tweaking disaster frequency and using rules that do not cripple life support. Establish an airtight water and oxygen surplus early, then chain passenger rockets from Earth to push population count past 500 as quickly as domes can accommodate them.
The Garden of Eden [Missable]
Played as Church of the new Ark and had 250 Colonists at 70+ Comfort before Sol 100
Missable! Equip every dome with an Infirmary, a Grocer, and a Hanging Gardens spire to keep baseline comfort well above 70. Church of the New Ark colonists reproduce rapidly, so build housing ahead of time to avoid morale penalties from homelessness.
Bushido [Missable]
Played as Japan and trained 200 specialists before Sol 100
Missable! Build Martian Universities early and operate them on all three shifts to graduate specialists non-stop. Maintain high dome comfort to encourage domestic births, creating a large pool of non-specialized youth ready to enter higher education.
Gold Rush [Missable]
Played as Brazil and converted 2000 Waste Rock to Rare Metals before Sol 100
Missable! Build multiple Brazil-exclusive Waste Rock Processors around active mines and landscaping projects. Ensure adequate power and dedicated drone coverage so processors operate uninterrupted until the 2000 conversion target is reached.
Surviving Mars - Green Planet
Move this Mountain!
Had a RC Dozer complete a landscaping project
Mark any terraforming area using the Landscaping tool (such as Flatten Ground or Ramp) and dispatch an RC Dozer to complete the soil work.
Seeds of Life
Harvested Seeds on Mars
Construct an Open Farm or outdoor farm plot once local soil quality allows it, select a seed-bearing crop, and let your drones harvest the yield.
Red Button
Nuked the Polar Caps
Unlock the special project in the Terraforming tech branch, supply a rocket with the necessary nukes and fuel, and launch the mission from planetary view.
Tears of Joy
Had water rain on Mars
Push Temperature above 25% and Water above 50% through Carbonate Processors and planetary seeding to trigger the first natural rain cycle.
Fear my Botany Powers!
Planted a tree
Raise Temperature to 50% and Water to 40%, then set a Forestation Plant to cultivate Pine or Mixed Trees across suitable fertile soil.
Now we need ducks
Had a lake with liquid water
Construct any size lake bed and pipe water into it while global Temperature is at least 25% so the water remains liquid instead of freezing.
Detox
Endured the Toxic Rains
Toxic rains trigger during early atmosphere development. Stockpile metals and electronics to keep maintenance drones repairing corroded exterior buildings until the disaster clears.
Skies of Blue
Created blue skies by terraforming
Build Atmosphere and Temperature up to 50% using Carbonate Processors, Core Heat Convectors, and planetary missions until the red haze disperses permanently.
Creator of Worlds
Maxed all Terraforming Parameters
Push Atmosphere, Temperature, Water, and Vegetation to 100%. Note that Forestation Plants stop raising Vegetation at 40%, requiring Seed Spreading planetary missions to cap the stat.
Capital Achievement
Constructed a Capital City
Research the Capital City tech in the Terraforming tree, which requires high Atmosphere and Oxygen levels to build an enormous open-air metropolis.
Surviving Mars - Below and Beyond
Mission Success
Successfully returned from an asteroid
Send an Asteroid Lander to an asteroid and ensure it safely returns to Mars after a successful landing.
Multitasking
Visited 3 asteroids simultaneously
Have three operational Asteroid Landers located on different asteroids at the same time.
Mysteries of Mars
Fully developed a buried wonder to benefit your colony
Explore the underground, find one of the buried wonders, and fully complete its research and construction.
Space Explorer
Completed all techs in the recon & expansion tech tree
Research all new technologies in the Recon and Expansion (green) branch of the research tree.
The Perfect Run
Retrieved all resources from an asteroid & leave nothing behind
Target a very small asteroid with limited resource deposits to make strip-mining manageable before it leaves orbit. Ensure every mined resource, rover, and prefabricated structure is packed back into the lander before departure.
Job’s done [Missable]
Fully developed all buried wonders in the underground, before sol 100
Missable! Rush underground exploration with RC Explorers early to uncover all three buried wonders as quickly as possible. Stockpile advanced materials on the surface in advance so they can be funneled downward the moment construction begins.
Will they hold?
Prevented 100 Cave-ins from Underground Marsquakes
Construct Support Struts across unstable underground tunnels to stabilize the ceiling. Marsquakes trigger periodically, and each cave-in intercepted by a strut advances the counter.
Space Dwarves
All your colonists live underground (at least 200 colonists)
Build sufficient subterranean domes and housing complexes to support a population of 200. Turn off or demolish all surface residential structures to force the entire colony to migrate underground.
Asteroid Hopping
Had a single Asteroid Lander visit 10 asteroids before returning to Mars
Load the lander with adequate supplies and equipment to synthesize fuel or mine ice on-site. The lander must hop continuously from asteroid to asteroid without returning to the Martian surface in between.
Into the Unknown
Went game over as your last colonists left Mars behind to take a trip into the great unknown
Advance the subterranean mystery event chain until the portal expedition becomes available. Create a manual save first, then dispatch your remaining colonists into the anomaly to trigger the game-over condition.
Walkthrough
Mod Error Workaround
Achievement Walkthroughs
Quick Method
Achievement Walkthroughs