Game rules

Game rules are available to select at the start of a new game, and can be used to tailor the game to your liking. The rules may make the game easier or more difficult. Many rules may be selected simultaneously, but some are incompatible with one another; currently "No Disasters" and any rule increasing the disaster levels. Some rules will disable the ability to unlock achievements.

Game rules are utilized by Creative Mode and Challenge Mode to tailor the game play.

The difficulty challenge level will never drop below 100 %, the most difficult setting you can get from these rules (excluding terraforming) is 600%. Keep in mind that the difficulty rating will be affected by the map you choose as well.

Game rule	Description	Difficulty challenge	Incompatibilities	Achievements
Amateurs	No specialist applicants.	+40%		Enabled
Armageddon	Meteor rating set to a new max level for all locations on Mars. Lower chance for meteors to yield metal, polymers, and research.	+50%	No Disasters	Enabled
Chaos Theory	Tech fields are fully randomized.	-50%	Tech Variety	Enabled
Dust in the Wind	Dust Storm rating set to a new max level for all locations on Mars.	+50%	No Disasters	Enabled
Easy Maintenance	Buildings don't malfunction due to lack of maintenance.	-200%		Disabled
Easy Research	Start with additional 3000 Research per Sol and all base techs revealed.	-150%		Disabled
Endless Supply	The first Universal Depot you place will automatically fill with resources each Sol.	-200%		Disabled
Fast Rockets	Rockets travel ten times faster.	-100%	Long Ride	Enabled
Fast Scanning	Sector scanning is ten times faster.	-100%		Enabled
Free Construction	Buildings don't require resources to be constructed (they still have construction time).	-500%		Disabled
Hunger	Can't import food from Earth.	+30%		Enabled
Increased Production	The base production of all resources is doubled. Production from upgrades and other modifiers is unchanged.	-50%		Enabled
Inflation	Import prices increase over time. (Estimated by fixed 10% of initial prices after every 20 sols)	+50%		Enabled
Iron Colonists	Colonists can't lose Health or Sanity below 50 and they cannot become Earthsick. There is no founder stage.	-200%		Disabled
Long Ride	Rocket travel time to and from Mars is three times longer, increasing from 25 h to 75 h.	+50%	Fast Rockets	Enabled
More Applicants	Start with 500 additional applicants.	-50%		Enabled
More Tourists	Start with 20 additional Tourist applicants.	-10%		Enabled
No Disasters	Disables all disasters (excluding those coming from mysteries).	-20%	Armageddon Dust in the Wind Twister Winter is Coming	Enabled
No Events	Disables all random events (except anomalies).	0%		Enabled
Overfunded	Adds $100,000 M Funding.	-200%		Disabled
Prefab Colony	Begin with free prefabs for all buildings necessary for a small colony.	-40%		Enabled
Rebel Yell	Colonists periodically become renegades. Crimes are more severe.	+50%		Enabled
Tech Variety	Tech fields are partially randomized during different playthroughs on the same map. Unlike with Chaos Theory, some technologies are guaranteed to appear early or late.	0%	Chaos Theory	Enabled
The Last Ark	Can call a Passenger Rocket only once.	+100%		Enabled
Twister	Dust Devil rating set to a new max level for all locations on Mars.	+30%	No Disasters	Enabled
Winter is Coming	Cold wave rating set to a new max level for all locations on Mars. Cold waves increase power consumption even more.	+50%	No Disasters	Enabled
No Terraforming	No planetary terraforming. Related buildings and techs and not available. Only available with Green Planet DLC.	0%	Mission Sponsor: Terraforming Initiative Commander Profile: Geo Engineer	Enabled