What shouldn't you do in Surviving Mars? Surviving Mars Guide & Walkthrough

This chapter contains useful tips on what you shouldn't do and what you should avoid while managing a colony.

1. Don't build important constructions near one another. This rule applies mainly to buildings providing water and energy (and those that store them). Thanks to that, one stray meteor won't cause a mass disaster in the colony.
2. Don't underestimate dangers. At first glance the hazards of weather changes might seem trivial to you. However, they are a serious threat - without proper preparations, they can condemn your colony to annihilation.
3. Don't forget about resources. Monitor demand, production and the amount of stored materials. The lack of any of the resources can effectively slow down the development of your colony.
4. Don't build separate domes for housing and production. Colonists have serious problems finding work in a factory located in the neighboring dome. This can be done manually, but it causes a lot of trouble (you can choose the workplace of a colonist manually, when the colonist reaches his/her destination, by selecting a new place of residence).
5. Don't build unprofitable mushroom farms. They always produce the same amount of food - 5 units. Farms and even hydroponic farms are much more efficient. Additionally, hydroponic farms take up less space.
6. Don't rely on moisture separators. They fulfill their role as an additional and complementary source of water, but they shouldn't be treated as a main source of water due to their low efficiency.
7. Don't rely only on solar panels. Solar panels are able to generate electricity only during the day. Until you build a wonder in the form of an artificial sun, Stirling generators or wind turbines are a better, more efficient and stable choice.
8. Don't forget about the colonists. They are the most important aspect of the game - massive deaths due to unnatural causes can be the end of your game.
9. Don't invite colonists too quickly. Before you do so, construct all of the necessary buildings in the dome and prepare the infrastructure for their arrival (water, oxygen, energy).