Exploring the Depths in Surviving Mars: Below & Beyond Expansion

If the portrayals in Hollywood and Doom games are to be believed, Mars’ subsurface is a place of peril. However, the new expansion for Surviving Mars, titled Below & Beyond, presents a different narrative. This premium expansion, the first since mid-2019, invites players to delve into the Martian underground, constructing a network of tunnels and establishing bases deep within the Red Planet.

Players can utilize existing building types from the surface or opt for underground-specific structures. However, the threat of tunnel cave-ins looms, which may pose a risk to these subterranean habitats.

The “Beyond” Aspect

The “Beyond” component of the DLC introduces rocket-propelled buildings that transport colonists to nearby asteroids. These space rocks offer a limited time opportunity to extract valuable resources, but overstaying could result in losing both the buildings and the colonists to the asteroid’s trajectory.

Research and Progression

New progression paths are available through the Recon and Expansion research tree, featuring:

• New buildings
• Vehicles
• Upgrades
• Locales

These additions complement the core mechanics of asteroid mining and underground tunneling.

Past Updates and Future Plans

The last update for Surviving Mars was a free DLC in March 2021, focusing on Tourism. Abstraction, taking over from the original developer Haemimont Games, has expressed ambitious plans for the game’s future. The game has been praised for its unique blend of survival and city-building elements.