Key Takeaways for Mars Colonisation from Survival in the ARK
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Apr 27, 2025
The goal of colonising Mars is now closer than ever for humanity. The Red Planet is no longer only the setting for science fiction thanks to SpaceX’s ambitious crewed ambitions and NASA’s robotic missions. However, designing spaceships and housing is only one aspect of preparing humanity for life on a hostile, resource-constrained planet; another is learning how to survive under duress. It may surprise you to learn that ARK: Survival Evolved is one of the most surprising video games.
Players of ARK are stranded on a harsh island with ancient animals, little resources, and no guidance. They must develop the skills necessary to gather materials, construct shelter, make tools, form alliances, and quickly adjust to a harsh environment, much like a hypothetical Martian colonist. ARK becomes more than just a game when played on online platforms like Godlike game servers; it becomes a living simulation of survival psychology, social dynamics, and decision-making under pressure.
Scarcity of Resources:
Players in ARK have to scrounge for supplies, food, and water, just as on Mars. Time and energy management are taught by the necessity to prioritise necessities.
Environmental Risks:
Colonists must prepare for harsh temperatures, toxic vegetation, and unexpected storms that resemble Martian conditions.
Building Infrastructure:
Players must create their shelter from the ground up, which includes making tools and power sources. This serves as a helpful mental model for building off-world.
Teamwork:
In multiplayer mode, cooperation is essential to survive. Both in ARK and on Mars, the ability to delegate, share resources, and resolve disputes is crucial.
What Long-Term Colonisation Can Learn From ARK
Beyond the fundamentals of survival, ARK pushes players to consider the long term, which is crucial for a permanent Mars settlement. Future colonists (and mission planners) should think about taking the following lessons from the gaming loop:
Making Plans for Growth
It soon becomes apparent to players that the first shelter is insufficient. Building new outposts, cultivating food, and protecting territory are all necessary for their survival. The same amount of resource allocation, strategic planning, and flexibility will be needed for a Martian base.
Sustaining Morale
Failure, dread, and exhaustion are prevalent in ARK. When plans fail or resources are depleted, group morale suffers. Mental well-being will be just as important on Mars as oxygen. Future planners can create more effective support networks by having a greater understanding of the psychological and social effects of solitary survival.
Decision-Making Decentralised
Strong player groupings frequently function without a rigid structure, depending instead on cooperation and adaptable leadership. More flexible governance might take the place of strict command systems in a Martian environment, particularly in the face of unanticipated difficulties.
Conflict over Resources and Diplomacy
Conflict or diplomacy develops when several tribes vie for the same few resources. Multinational or corporate colonies on Mars may experience the same thing. Negotiation and conflict resolution techniques can be usefully practiced in simulated settings.
Redundancy and the Reduction of Risk
Hours of progress may be ruined in ARK by a single poor choice, such as camping close to dangerous predators. Building redundancies, backing up supplies, and anticipating danger are skills that players pick up fast. These are crucial lessons for planning colonisation in the real world.
The Significance of Multiplayer
Although ARK may be played alone, the most insightful discoveries are made in multiplayer mode. Complex social dynamics arise when twelve players share a server. Ethical quandaries emerge, coalitions change, and leadership structures develop naturally. Compared to separate training modules, these simulations much more accurately reflect group behaviour in the actual world.
Godlike gaming servers are crucial because they give big groups of people a durable, adaptable environment in which to interact. Researchers and planners might watch or even take part in extended ARK sessions to see how players resolve interpersonal and logistical issues in real time.
Using Simulated Survival as an Experiment
Games like as ARKsnow provide a fun and safe opportunity to evaluate problem-solving skills, community cohesion, and survival instincts. They offer a further level of social and psychological rehearsal, but they cannot replace real field training.
Analogue missions, like HI-SEAS or the Mars Society’s MDRS, have already been utilised by agencies like NASA and ESA to evaluate isolation reaction and crew compatibility. For situations that are too costly or unsafe to evaluate in real life, adding organised multiplayer game settings to that toolbox might provide high-frequency, low-cost practice.
Concluding Remarks
One of the biggest problems humanity has ever faced will be surviving on Mars. It will need creativity, fortitude, and the capacity to adjust in ways that we are just now starting to comprehend. Even though ARK: Survival Evolved is a game, its focus on long-term planning, community development, and survival makes it a remarkably insightful model.
Serious and light-hearted simulations will be crucial in preparing us for the reality of the Red Planet as we get closer to landing there. Additionally, the route to space may occasionally pass through an island inhabited by dinosaurs.
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