Motherload

A lone prospector touches down on Mars with next to nothing — a shallow bank balance and the most basic drilling equipment available — determined to make a living in the subsurface. Digging down reveals increasingly valuable mineral deposits, but the deeper the drill goes, the harder the work: fuel depletes, heat builds, and new hazards emerge. Selling what comes up funds better equipment; better equipment opens deeper layers. The loop continues until the planet runs out of surprises — or the player runs out of margin.