Publisher Paradox Interactive has announced that colony sim Surviving Mars is resuming development this year. Dutch studio Abstraction – known for its support work on titles like Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Hotline Miami 2 – will take over from original developer Haemimont Games, working on a new expansion that’s set to release later in 2021.
The publisher also revealed that 5 million players have landed on the Red Planet since Surviving Mars launched back in 2018. To celebrate this occasion, a free Tourism Update and paid In-Dome Buildings Pack DLC will release on March 15.
Surviving Mars’ free Tourism Update revamps tourists, enabling them to rate their stay in your colony. The newly added Holiday Experience Rating sounds like something you’ll want to keep track of, as it determines the rewards, funds, and available tourist applicants that your colony receives.
Hotels, unlocked researching Smart Homes, increase tourists’ satisfaction and comfort while the Low-G Amusement Park building also increases the chances of your guests leaving your new home with a positive impression. Additionally, the new RC Safari vehicle lets you take your guests on guided tours by placing waypoints at different points of interest around your chunk of the Red Planet.
The In-Dome Buildings Pack DLC, developed in partnership with modder Silva, introduces 8 new buildings alongside “a host of technical additions to expand housing and community options”, for the price of £3.99 or your regional equivalent. Here are its new buildings, as detailed by the publisher:
Habitats for Humanity
- Smart Apartments (Habitats, Large)
- Seniors Residence (Habitats, Medium)
- Large Nursery (Habitats, Large)
Dome Sweet Dome
- Medical Post (Dome Services, Small)
- Security Post (Dome Services, Small)
- Hospital (Dome Services, Large)
- TV Studio Workshop (Dome Services, Large)
- School Spire (Dome Spires, Spire)
There, sadly, aren’t any details about Surviving Mars’ upcoming expansion just yet, although we expect to learn more over the coming months. If you’ve yet to pick up the colony sim, you can actually get it for free until March 18 on the Epic Games Store.
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