Cosmic Encounter (2000) cover
2000BGG rank #4,522

Cosmic Encounter (2000)

by Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Bill Norton, Peter Olotka · Avalon Hill

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Players2–4
Time60m
ComplexityMedium-Light
Age12+

About the game

What is Cosmic Encounter (2000)?

In Cosmic Encounter, you play the leader of a colonization effort whose ships are traveling throughout the Cosmos to prove their worthiness for Cosmic leadership. Each player is a race that has the ability to bend or break certain rules in the game. You will use force, cunning, and diplomacy to win success for your unique form of alien intelligence. Battles are determined through the use of cards in addition to assistance from other players around the table. The winner(s) will be the first player(s) to have FIVE COLONIES on any planets outside his or her home system. This is an updated version of the original Cosmic Encounter (1977). Major differences between this version and the Eon version: Terminology was changed for many components and rules: Compromise to Negotiate; Consolation to Compensation; Edicts to Artifacts, etc. Both the Eon version and Mayfair Games' version used tokens to represent players' forces. Avalon Hill changed them to plastic ships, and changed the system pieces as well, and the Hyperspace Cone became a Ship carrier. Mayfair's version used cardback art similar to Eon's, so the two could theoretically be combined. Avalon Hill used all new art on the cards, and the stock is much thinner.

How it plays

Mechanics

Variable Player Powers

On the shelf

Categories

BluffingCard GameScience Fiction

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

  • How do setup and the first turn work in Cosmic Encounter (2000)?
  • When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
  • How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?