Mars with Water
Mars as it would look with an ocean: NASA's own elevation measurements, flooded to minus 500 metres — the level NASA itself used to picture a Martian ocean. The north becomes sea, and the south one enormous landmass. Conquer it free in the browser, with no download.
| Grid | 1968 × 1012 cells |
|---|---|
| Land | 44% of the map |
| Boats | Yes |
| Played in | Single player |
The geography
The terrain comes from the MOLA laser altimeter that flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor — public-domain measurements of the real planet — on the same Robinson frame as the World map. The northern lowlands fill with ocean. The giant Hellas and Argyre impact basins become round inland seas in the southern highlands, the canyon of Valles Marineris floods into a long channel, and the Tharsis volcanoes rise above it all. Almost all of the land — about 99% of it — is one connected mass.
How a match plays
This is the land-war map: long borders, many neighbours and room for a large empire. The northern ocean gives a coastal start one quiet side, while the inland seas split the south into fronts that curve around them. In single player the maps take turns, and Mars with Water is one of them.
Tips for Mars
- Expect land fights early. With one landmass, most other starts can reach you without a boat.
- Use the inland seas. A start beside Hellas or Argyre has water covering part of its border.
- Do not forget the coast. Boats can still land along the northern shore and across the inland seas.
- Grow in measured steps. On one continent new neighbours keep arriving, so keep enough troops at home to meet them.
Other maps
- Europe — mostly connected land, with the great rivers as water.
- World — Earth's continents, where boats decide who reaches the next one.
- Milky Way — a spiral galaxy with no boats at all.
- Thronelands — two fantasy continents across a narrow sea.
Compare all five on the map overview, or read the strategy guide.