- BGG rating
- 6.6
Kingdoms: The Wizard
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,782
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Cosmolancer
1994
Rules assistance for Cosmolancer
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 9+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Cosmolancer
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cosmolancer is a board game released in 1994 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Tile Placement.
Expansions
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About the game
Auf Heller und Pfennig takes participants to a medieval marketplace. Each turn, players place tiles onto the grid board that modify (either positively or negatively) the amount of money to be made by the shops that share that tile's row or column. Three times the board is filled with tiles and shop money is earned, after which the player with the most money wins. In Kingdoms, the first English-language version of Auf Heller und Pfennig, players try to collect the most gold by establishing castles in the richest regions of the realm while avoiding hazards like dragons, swamps, and trolls. The 2011 edition includes detailed plastic castles, a streamlined rulebook, and the addition of a wizard tile — one that increases the rank of adjacent castles, multiplying their scores — previously available only at game conventions. As of 2024, Cosmolancer is the newest version of this design, with players taking the role of freelance photographers in space! As in the other versions, the game lasts three rounds, and to start a round, each player draws a random tile and keeps it secret. On a turn, you either: • Draw a tile and place it in an empty space on the 6x5 grid. • Place the tile in your hand. • Place one of your tokens, which are numbered 1-4, in an empty space. When all of the spaces are filled, you score each of your tokens, multiplying the number on the token by the sum of the tiles in its row and column, with some special tiles nullifying positive values or splitting a row into two segments. You retrieve all of your 1 tokens, but the others are now out of play. After three rounds, whoever has the highest score wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Edge Entertainment
- Arclight Games
- Delta Vision Publishing
- Enigma (Bergsala Enigma)
- ADC Blackfire Entertainment
- Hasbro
- Avalon Hill
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- Fantasy Flight Games
- MINDOK
- cutia.ro
- Hans im Glück
- Fantasmagoria
- Menart
- Midgaard Games
Questions and answers
Cosmolancer supports 2–4 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 Cosmolancer is 45 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.
The catalogue lists Cosmolancer for ages 9 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Cosmolancer has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Cosmolancer belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Abstract Strategy, and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement. 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 Cosmolancer are: Reiner Knizia. 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 Cosmolancer 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.