- BGG rating
- 7.7
More Cosmic Encounter
- 2–8 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 1992
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,106
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Cosmic Encounter
1991
Rules assistance for Cosmic Encounter
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Cosmic Encounter
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cosmic Encounter is a board game released in 1991 for 3–6 players and 60 minutes per game. It was designed by Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka, and Bill Norton and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 10.0
Cosmic Supreme
- 3–12 players
- 20–120 min
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,594
- BGG rating
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- 60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
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- BGG #235
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Cosmic Encounter
- 3–5 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
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- BGG #1,126
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Cosmic Encounter: 42nd Anniversary Edition
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- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
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- BGG #1,769
- BGG rating
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Cosmic Encounter
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 1977
- BGG rank
- BGG #217
- BGG rating
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Dune
- 2–6 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
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- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
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- BGG rank
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Rex: Final Days of an Empire
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- Complexity 3.3/5
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Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy
- 2–4 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,518
- BGG rating
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Cosmic Encounter Duel
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,059
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne
- 3–5 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,526
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Impulse
- 2–6 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,941
- BGG rating
- 6.1
One Night Revolution
- 3–10 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2015
About the game
Players represent alien races that are seeking to spread themselves onto five foreign worlds. To accomplish this, they make challenges against other players and enlist the aid of interested parties. But alien powers, which are unique to each race, give players ways to bend or outright break some rule in the game. This is an updated version of the original Eon Cosmic Encounter (1977). Major differences between this version and the Eon version: Flares in the Mayfair version are "use once and discard", as opposed to Eon's version, which lets players keep them in their hands and reuse them. Mayfair introduced phase / timing icons on all Powers, Flares, and Edicts to clearly indicate when each could be used. Mayfair introduced new Edicts, and several new Alien Powers with corresponding Flares. Moons (in the More Cosmic Encounter expansion) have text written on their backs (instead of only a number which you used to refer to a separate list). Moons were also divided into four categories: Full Moons have a major effect on the game; Half Moons are more moderate in their effects; Quarter Moons have a minor effect; Cheese Moons introduce silliness to the game. Lucre (also in the More Cosmic Encounter expansion) was revamped with additional uses, and players were required to spend it to affect their challenge totals. Mayfair introduced a new card: Reinforcements (also in the More Cosmic Encounter expansion). Expanded by: More Cosmic Encounter Cosmic Supreme (allows 2 more players) Re-implements: Eon's Cosmic Encounter (1977) Re-implemented by: Simply Cosmic, Mayfair's simplified version (which can be added to allow 4 more players)
Categories
Mechanics
Publishers
- Hexagames (I)
- Mayfair Games
Questions and answers
Cosmic Encounter supports 3–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Cosmic Encounter is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
Cosmic Encounter has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Cosmic Encounter belongs to these categories: Card Game, Bluffing, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Cosmic Encounter are: Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka, and Bill Norton. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Cosmic Encounter as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.