We are back!

Terraformers assemble for the next mission! On Saturday, November 15 2025 we welcome you to the next installment of the German Open in beautiful Cologne. Immerse yourself in the exciting world of Mars colonization and put your skills to the test against other enthusiasts. Join us and become part of this galactic adventure!

As if the thrill of competition wasn't enough, you'll also have the chance to win awesome prizes!

At a Glance

If you're running late, please make sure to let us know. Depending on how late you are, we will either try to hold your spot for you or reserve the right to give it to someone else.

Distinction from FryxGames

Various internet forums have raised accusations against a member of FryxGames relating to transphobia. The Facebook posts to which the accusations refer date from 2021 and have since been deleted. In response to our inquiry, FryxGames referred to the vision described on its website.

Important: The allegations are four years old, the Facebook posts no longer exist, and FryxGames states that it is committed to a board game table where there is room for everyone.

Nevertheless, it is important to us to once again expressly distance ourselves from any discriminatory behavior and to make it clear that everyone is welcome at this event, especially LGBTQ+ people!

Dealing with the allegations against the FryxGames employee was difficult for us. We ultimately decided to hold the tournament anyway, as the game itself does not contain any discriminatory content and we want to use the event to promote diversity and cohesion.

The tournament is not sponsored by FryxGames, but is organized by the community for the community.

If you have any further questions on this topic, please feel free to contact us. We would also be happy to discuss it with you again. We have discussed this at length within the organizing team and would be happy to share our thoughts with you.

Donations

We are pleased to announce that we have selected rubicon e. V. as the recipient of the proceeds from the first edition of the German Open in April 2025. The total amount of €210.70 has been transferred to rubicon to support its work in helping "lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, inter*, and queer-oriented people (LSBT*I*Q), their families, and chosen families to live and love with confidence and without fear." Make sure to visit rubicon's website to learn more.

Rule Clarifications

Volcanoes

There are no volcanoes on Hellas. Therefore, you may place Lava Flows and Lava Tube Settlement on other locations.

Noctis City

On Elysium and Hellas, there is no designated place for Noctis City. You may place it there as a regular city.

Order

You can choose the order of effects yourself. If you have Viral Enhancers on the table but no plant yet, you can still play Moss. Removing the plant is not a 'cost' but an effect. Also, if you play Giant Ice Asteroid and someone has Arctic Algae on the table, you can determine the order of getting and destroying plants.

This is also allowed: 1) Play Nuclear Zone, 2) raise the temperature to zero degrees, 3) place the ocean, and 4) place the Nuclear Zone tile next to the ocean to get 2MC back.

Search For Life

Search For Life allows you to score a maximum of 3VP, regardless of the number of science resources on the card. Playing CEO's Favorite Project on Search For Life does not give you more points.

Production or resources

If playing a card requires you to reduce production (like Energy Tapping), it is mandatory. If it takes away resources (like Comet), it is optional.

Mining Expedition

The text of Mining Expedition says: “Remove 2 plants from any player” instead of “Remove up to 2 plants from any player” like other asteroids. However, Mining Expedition works the same.

Robotic Workforce

With Robotic Workforce you may also copy the production of a corporation or a prelude card.

Ecology Experts

Global requirements are temperature, oxygen, and oceans. You may also play cards with other requirements, such as science labels, but you must have those labels on your already played cards.

Vitor/Point Luna

If you play Vitor, you get 3MC back, because the card itself already has a question mark at the points. If you play Point Luna, you can immediately take a card because Point Luna has an earth label.

No Money for Prelude Card

If after playing your corporation and paying for your cards you do not have enough money to pay the required cost of a Prelude card, you must sell the Prelude card for 15 MC.

Parameters max

If temperature or oxygen are full you can still use an action to make heat or oxygen. You don't get points for this, but it can sometimes be useful as a delay action to wait and see what another player is going to do.

Tournament Rules and Structure

Required Experience Level

The tournament is organized for players who are already familiar with the game and its rules. It is not intended for beginners. This helps us keep our greatest enemy in check: time.

We will be playing with both the English and German editions of the game.

Number of players per table

It is our goal to play with four players in each game. If this is not possible due to the total number of players, we will fill with three player games.

Number of Rounds and Expansions Used

The tournament will consist of three rounds. Each round will be played on a different game board (Tharsis, Hellas, Elysium), provided there are enough Hellas & Elysium expansions available. If not, multiple rounds may be played on the Tharsis board.

We will play using the "Corporate Era" rules and the Prelude expansion (not Prelude 2). In total, the game includes 215 project cards, 35 Prelude cards, and 17 corporation cards.

Special Tournament Rules

We will use both the "Corporate Era" rules and the draft variant. However, the draft variant will only be used during the research phase. Your initial ten starting cards will not be drafted.

Additionally, you will select from three corporations instead of the usual two.

Round Duration

Each round will last a maximum of 2.5 hours. Does that sound short? It is. However, past tournaments have shown that this time is sufficient even for less experienced players.

If the time limit is reached, the following rules apply: 15 minutes before the 2.5-hour mark, a signal will be given by the tournament organizers. At that point, the current generation will be completed. Five minutes before the end of the 2.5 hours, a second signal will be given. At this point, all players will take one final turn in the current generation, ensuring everyone has had an equal number of turns in that generation. The game will then conclude with a final production phase and greenery placement. If oxygen has not yet reached 14%, it can still be increased during the final greenery placement, and you can earn additional Terraform Rating points.

Tournament Mode

We will play using a Swiss system. This means that in the first round, you will play against random opponents, and in subsequent rounds, you will be matched with players who have similar standings.

Tournament Spirit

Our main goal with this event is to provide everyone with an enjoyable and terraforming-filled day on Mars. Fun should be the priority. Of course, you're welcome to play with a healthy dose of ambition, but only as long as it doesn't come at the expense of the tournament's spirit.

The spirit of the tournament encompasses several key aspects:

Tournament Language

The tournament organizers speak both German and English, ensuring flexibility for all participants. We strive to provide as many English-language games as possible and use them during the tournament, as there will also be international guests attending. Therefore, it's likely that communication during games will be in English.

Are you unsure about communicating in English? No problem! There is usually someone at the table who can translate your questions if needed, or we'll find another solution together. A language barrier should never be a reason for you not to participate – we're excited to have you join us!

Location

The tournament will take place at the Bürgerzentrum Deutz. The address is:

The Bürgerzentrum is accessible at ground level and barrier-free. The facility has an elevator and two barrier-free restrooms.

We strongly recommend using public transportation, as parking around the Bürgerzentrum is very limited.

From the "Köln Messe/Deutz" station, it's about a 10-minute walk.

From the "Deutzer Freiheit" tram stop (lines 1, 7, 9), it's just a 5-minute walk.

If you do choose to drive, there are some paid parking options and parking garages in the vicinity. Please check the prices of these options yourself.

Bringing Games

We appreciate your support! To ensure everyone has a great time, we kindly ask you to bring the base game and any relevant expansions. Games in English are ideal so that as many people as possible can join in, but games in German are of course also very welcome. You can let us know which games you can bring during registration.

Food and Drinks

There will be a beverage sale on-site with non-alcoholic drinks. Please handle the bottles carefully to avoid breakage and ensure that no games come into contact with drinks.

There will be no in-house food available on-site. However, there are plenty of food places and supermarkets nearby, especially on the street "Deutzer Freiheit". Of course, you're welcome to bring your own food. If needed, please remember to bring your own cutlery, as we cannot provide it on-site.

Image Recording Consent

With your registration, you confirm that pictures and videos of you will be taken during the event and that these may be used for advertising purposes on this website and our social media channels.

Communication

Looking back at the first edition of the German Open

On April 05, 2025, 86 players participated in the first edition of the German Open! After three rounds, Kyriakos Avgoustis was crowned champion with placing first in every single game. It was a day full of good chats, a few security fleets, and lots of fun. We hope to see you at the next tournament. Any news concerning the next German Open will be published here in the future!
The final results can be found here.