Terraforming Mars' milestones and awards system is the most commonly misunderstood mechanic by new players. Milestones are claimed when you first reach a specific threshold — you pay 8 credits to lock in a milestone bonus. Awards are funded before game end — you pay increasing costs to be awarded points based on whoever leads each category.

The interaction between milestones, awards, and your corporation engine creates a strategic tension that is absent from the base resource and track mechanics. Ignoring milestones and awards in favor of pure track advancement is a beginner pattern that experienced players exploit by claiming valuable milestones cheaply.

For teaching Terraforming Mars: explain milestones and awards in session one but let them develop organically. New players will under-use them. By session three, everyone understands their importance and the competition for them becomes one of the game's most interesting early-game races.