Welcome to Mars First Logistics, a creative physics-based engineering game where you transport, construct, and explore across the Martian surface using custom-built vehicles.
This Mars First Logistics Beginner Guide walks you through your first missions, vehicle construction basics, and key gameplay mechanics, helping you efficiently progress through the 1.0 release content and unlock your first major achievements.
If you’re new to the game, this walkthrough ensures you understand how to build smarter, transport better, and explore further — without wasting resources or time.
1. The Core Gameplay Loop
At its heart, Mars First Logistics revolves around completing contracts that involve:
- Transporting cargo between outposts.
- Constructing structures using modular parts.
- Exploring the Martian map to unlock new regions and side missions.
You earn Funds and Blueprint Parts, which are used to expand your garage and improve your vehicles.
First Missions (Main Story Progression)
Completing the main missions introduces every core system in the game. These missions also unlock key achievements automatically.
| Mission | Objective | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| First Day | Complete your first contract | Focus on balance and grip; a simple 4-wheel vehicle works fine. |
| Builder | Complete your first construction project | Use the crane attachment to lift and align parts properly. |
| Blast Off | Launch the Rocket | Requires steady cargo handling; ensure your vehicle has stabilizers. |
| Biologist | Complete the biosphere | Follow mission prompts closely — this is part of the late-game chain. |
| Appreciated | Hang the certificate of appreciation in your garage | Triggered during the final mission and credits sequence. |
Tip: These missions are linear and unskippable. Always finish one before exploring side missions to ensure smooth tech progression.
Understanding Vehicle Construction
1. Basic Controls
You build vehicles using a modular system, combining parts like:
Chassis blocks for structure
Motors & wheels for movement
Rotors & hinges for articulation
Grabbers, magnets, and connectors for carrying loads
Each part consumes energy, so managing power balance is critical for efficient builds.
2. Balancing Your Vehicle
A good design minimizes tipping:
Keep the center of mass low and centered.
Use wider bases for heavy loads.
Add counterweights to balance cargo arms.
3. Common Beginner Mistakes
Overusing motors or rockets (causes energy drain).
Ignoring symmetry (leads to uneven handling).
Forgetting stabilization for aerial or high-speed designs.
Side Missions and Unlockable Achievements
Once you complete the early story missions, you’ll gain access to optional challenges. These not only offer unique rewards but also introduce new gameplay tools.
Handyman
Objective: Complete 10 side jobs
Tip: Focus on blue part reward missions — they unlock mechanical components needed for complex builds.
Mechanic
Objective: Unlock all parts
Tip: Complete main missions and repeat blue reward side missions. If none appear, progress the story to refresh the pool.
Explorer
Objective: Place 10 transmitters
Tip: Expand your outposts strategically; transmitters are refundable, so build freely to extend your range.
Money Bags
Objective: Save 10,000 in funds
Tip: Replay easy, high-paying contracts and avoid unnecessary spending on early experimental builds.
Fun & Experimental Achievements
These side challenges reward curiosity and creative use of the game’s physics sandbox.
| Achievement | How to Unlock | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Water on Mars? | Build the Diving Pool and drive into it | Found after mid-game biosphere construction. |
| Pole Position | Complete a lap on the race track | Go anti-clockwise; cross the finish line twice to register a lap. |
| Laduma! | Score a goal in the Rover League Court | Push the large ball into either goal. |
| Slam Dunk | Put the ball through the hoop in your garage | The ball appears after completing Rover League Court. Aim carefully with a grabbing arm. |
| Prove Your Strength | Ring the bell at the fair strength test | Build a swinging hammer vehicle with weight and a rocket boost. |
| Commuter | Ride the monorail | Finish the monorail construction mission, then board it. |
Advanced Achievements and Tips
| Achievement | Description | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Heavenly Body | Reach the edge of space | Build a rocket vehicle with enough thrust to leave the atmosphere. A lightweight frame with high fuel output helps. |
| Pest | Get a Martian to leap 50m into the air | Drive under one of the small orange Martians using a rocket vehicle. Time your upward thrust to launch them high. |
Tip: For vertical rocket builds, balance thrust evenly across the frame. Use adjustable hinges to control lift direction.
Endgame and Replay Value
After completing the main storyline (ending with the “Appreciated” mission), you can:
- Continue expanding your operations.
- Build large-scale transport vehicles or rockets.
- Revisit side missions for alternate builds or faster runs.
- Experiment with custom workshop creations and mods.
The game’s sandbox design encourages continuous creativity, making Mars First Logistics both a puzzle and an engineering playground.
Mars First Logistics rewards ingenuity and persistence. The early missions teach you the essentials of movement and construction, while the side challenges push your problem-solving and creativity.
With this beginner walkthrough, you’ll efficiently progress from your first cargo contract to building fully functional rockets and industrial transporters.
Master the fundamentals early, and the Martian surface becomes your engineering playground.