Terraforming Mars · Board game rules
When does the Generation Marker advance?
Quick answer
The generation marker moves up 1 step at the start of the Player Order phase, each generation except the first.
Details
Each generation begins with the Player Order phase, during which the first player marker shifts one step clockwise and the generation marker is moved up 1 step [p.8 — GENERATIONS]. This phase, and therefore the advancing of the generation marker, is skipped in the very first generation, since players already perform the equivalent setup during the game's Setup phase [p.8 — GENERATIONS] [p.7 — SETUP].
The generation marker itself sits on the TR track and simply serves to measure the passage of time (rounds) in the game, starting at position '1' [p.4 — GAME BOARD].
Watch out: Because the first generation skips the Player Order phase (and the Research phase), the generation marker stays on '1' for the entire first generation — it only starts advancing from the second generation onward [p.7 — SETUP] [p.8 — GENERATIONS].